Take

Good directing and acting. Downer story, probably affected some people ratings.

review_take

Yes, it is a well crafted production, powerfully presented in the context of the message it hopes to deliver.

But this is where I part ways with the obvious intention of the film, which I can't really articulate here without providing a spoiler to its conclusion.

My point here is that the actions of Saul, remarkably well portrayed by Jeremy Remmer, is framed in the context of a sympathetic character, fraught with a difficult array of bad choices made under duress, resulting in a horrific criminal outcome.

But that's not how such things usually come about in real life. In real life, the perpetrators of horrific crimes are very often myopically self absorbed, violent sociopaths and psychopaths, completely without remorse or even the remotest capacity for anything resembling a conscience.

This is where the film fails completely.

Ana Nichols delivers her version of Minnie about as perfectly as any actress could to portray the circumstances represented in the story.

It's not the acting, or quality of production and directing, all of which were very well done, that I have trouble with.

It's the heavily slanted purported message the film is trying to drive, which is so remarkably out of sync with the actual reality it tries to portray, that makes me back away from offering a higher rating than what I offer here.

Sorry . . . 6 stars is about as far as I can go with this one.

A Thoughtful and intelligent movie, I saw it at the Tribeca Film Festival. The director accurately captured the plight of the characters, the scenes were artfully staged. Great overall impact. This is a movie you can and should see more than once.

The story was told without judgment, you could feel the anguish and redemption of the characters, it was portrayed, not preached. This was movie making and story telling at its best.

Although the ending was predictable, suspense was present throughout the movie. There were a few quirky things going on that made and kept the movie interesting. The only criticism I can offer is that it seemed the conclusion of the story lacked the impact it could have had, although I am not sure how that could be pulled off, the message did get across. The movie is well worth the time.

This film exemplifies why the industry needs to keep encouraging the making of independent films. This film couldn't have come from a major studio.

The cinematography was cutting edge and experimental (a patent is even pending on a new camera rig, according to the DP at a Tribeca Q&A), and it worked well to saturate the viewer with the mood of each part of the film.

The writing was precise and tight, but the director allowed the force of the film to be carried more in its silences and in tiny nuances of expression than in dialog.

Which brings me to perhaps the most powerful of the film's elements: the acting. Without the right actors, the powerful message of the film in evoking the immense struggle surrounding rage and forgiveness would have been lost in the silences. Minnie Driver's face on one tight closeup after another showed nuances that were unbelievably powerful. Jeremy Renner's portrayal of a slow inexorable descent into darkness was captured flawlessly. And the little boy - Bobby Coleman (Driver's son in the film)- both enchanted with a completely natural portrayal of charming boyhood and terrified with a chilling reaction to what happens to him. Although young, he was completely real, with none of the Dakota-Fanning-blankness we've come to accept. In a sense, he was the linchpin of the film; if we hadn't cared about him and his relationship to Minnie, we would not have cried as we did.

The whole audience was in tears; be prepared. But...also be prepared to think, and wonder, and grapple with the film. It is well worth it.

A great, thought provoking film about the death penalty. This is a movie that will be extremely difficult for most viewers to watch, yet it is worth it for more than one reason. The first and foremost to reason to see this film is that it is a visual tour de force. Every scene looks amazing and the cinematographer constantly fills the screen with something interesting to look at. The second reason I would say to see this is that its script is pretty intelligent. while not above some logic flaws and a frustrating beginning, a murder who I felt needed a little more backstory,the film really does shine when it comes together. Much like Crash or Babel it is a nonlinear story with some different time periods. Minnie Driver is quite good though her accent does come through at points, regardless her emotion is conveyed really well on screen. Overall this film made quite an impact on me and was well worth the time invested! Definitely check out this well made expertly directed low budget film. Cant wait for my next film at tribeca!