Hungry Hills

20 minutes in and I was bored to tears. This film was released in 2009, and has only garnered for itself TWO other reviews, and those were written be professional hacks no doubt connected to the film virtually begging for other people to 'Go! Go see it!'. Please.

I say it could have been a great film because the sets, landscapes, and cinematography are excellent. Just one problem (two or three actually), the script is terrible and about as believable as Dan Quayle showing up on your TV late at night asking for money to help support the G.O.P..

The dialog between characters holds no water, scenes are jammed together about as seamless as a car accident, and no one in their right mind gives a damn what happens to anybody by the end of the film.

I can't know for sure, but I strongly suspect this film went financially bust 6 months in, leaving all the Galley Slaves to present a glorious turkey to the movie going public, pieced together by scraps carelessly dropped on the floor.

Well, it was a turkey...

I only hope the young Keir Gilchrist's acting career isn't completely disabled by this total bomb of a movie. I did see quite a bit of potential for this young man, but it didn't (couldn't) come out here.

Just awful.

I attended the World Premiere of "George Ryga's Hungry Hills" at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. What a pleasant surprise. I was not at all prepared for the quality of this film. It took 10 years for director Rob King to bring "Hungry Hills" to the screen and it shows.

Based on the novel by Canadian author George Ryga, "Hungry Hills" is a coming-of age western that opens with a troubled young man (Keir Gilchrist as Snit) confined to a reformatory for robbing the general store. But the reality is that his crime may simply be that he's from a family of outcasts, the infamous Mandolin clan, and has to devote his teen years to proving that he's not what he appears to be. It sets up a classic arc, in a triangle which ropes in his best friend Johnny (Alexander De Jordy) and the town sheriff (John Pyper-Ferguson). Classic role reversals dominate the storyline, which surprises at every turn. Gabrielle Rose, as Snit Mandolin's Aunt Matilda, turns in a shocking performance as the one person who seems to understand the real boy beneath the tough veneer. There's always more under the surface than the viewer initially gleans from the action, as though Ryga's book (adapted for the screen by Gary Fisher) is actually a mystery/psychological thriller that just happens to be set in old Saskatchewan.

Long takes with little dialogue give the actors, particularly young Gilchrist, the opportunity to show the extent of emotions that can be conveyed in the eyes, facial expressions, and body language normally reserved for seasoned actors (which Gilchrist is, despite his young age). King trusts his cast with the freedom to tell the story, and they're clearly up to the challenge. "Hungry Hills" fires with every bullet in its barrel. Ken Krawczyk's lush cinematography and a sweeping score by Todd Bryanton rival those of any great classic western. The images are stunning, as the film was shot with the RED camera, a new technology which is to movies what HD is to TV.

Most of all, though, "George Ryga's Hungry Hills" rests on the shoulders of 16-year-old Keir Gilchrist. This young man is someone to watch for. His performance, along with King's almost-flawless execution of Ryga's book, makes this film a winner in my book.

I was so impressed I actually signed up with IMDb just so I could write a few lines about this outstanding movie.

The very convincing performance of the cast and the stunningly beautiful shots of the Saskatchewan landscape got me emotionally involved in the plot right from the get go.

The action takes place in the middle of the 20th century in an economically depressed area of the Prairies.

The characters feel very real with their fears, concerns and hopes for a better future. At the centre of the story is a teenage boy, Snit, who has survived a reform school only to return to a shattered home where he reunites with his aunt who is in a terrible state of mind seemingly close to a breakdown. On the way home he meets his old friend Johnny who has gone into the moonshine business.

The few neighbours and especially the shop keeper are all hostile to Snit and make it clear that they don't want him around.

I don't want to say any more about the plot because I want to get You to go and see this movie! Even though the movie is set in the past it is very valid in these times as well.

I would recommend this movie for any age group starting with teenagers. It is very relevant today with all the stories coming out about abuse in residential schools.

Go, see and enjoy!

Snit (Keir Gilchrist) escapes from a brutal reformatory hospital. He returns home to find his unstable Aunt Matilda (Gabrielle Rose). His family is the poor outcasts. The town had put Snit away and Kane (John Pyper-Ferguson) tries to drive him away. With his bitter hateful friend Johnny Swift (Alexander De Jordy), they operate a moonshine still. Robin (Alexia Fast) is taken with Snit.

Keir Gilchrist is great but the story needs some expositions. It probably needs to explain why Snit was locked up in the reformatory in the first place. It would be great to have the time and the place. The production quality is more or less TV level but it's filmed very nicely. The vast hillscapes look beautifully bleak. Johnny Swift could be a great character if his dialog is a little better written. Kane's motivations are a bit confused. This could be a great little indie especially with the interesting cast assembled here if it's put together more competently.