Cold in July: Juillet de sang

This dirty little piece of Texas pulp rides the fine line of art of trash with brilliant composure as its dark script teases you with how far it'll go. The seed is planted when an everyman kills an intruder in his home, and the story spins wildly out of control from there. The story moves forward at a brisk pace and never looks back. Sure that means there are as many holes as there are unanswered questions, but such is the case with pulp. You gotta live in the now, man. In the end, I'm still not sure how to process what I've seen, and I've gained no further insight or knowledge about myself, the world, or humanity. And I wouldn't have it any other way

The story line is simple and clear but not completely convincing in all aspects. But the screenplay is the one that makes to hold on to the movie till the end without letting you think about the logics. The music and some of the performances like Sam Shepard's have been partners to the screenplay.

But towards the end of the movie, You think about Richard's involvement to the plan is so lightly touched making the characterization contradictory to itself. A citizen with clear records, a responsible family man who tries to safe guard the family under any circumstances turns out to be warrior keeping aside the family for a while. That itches a bit ! Doesn't it.

Other than that, it is a movie that you can watch for once without much regrets.

An endless orgy of twists & turns that begins & ends with a bullet being fired, Cold in July isn't an easy film to pin into any genre because it starts as one thing, then changes its course around the middle, seems to be heading in the direction you predicted but once again takes an unexpected turn to become something else entirely.

Co-written & directed by Jim Mickle, this indie keeps shifting its gear which stacks up pretty well in the end as the aura of tension & mystery that's present in the story throughout its runtime is nerve-wracking. Camerawork is expertly handled, editing is slick, background score neatly compliments the whole narrative and the tonal shifts are done in a way that only brings the viewers in instead of out.

As far as performances go, the film boasts a badass cast in Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard & Don Johnson and the trio is impressive in their given roles. Hall plays an everyman & it is through him that we enter into the story, Shepard contributes in with a strong performance of his own but it is Don Johnson who leaves the most lasting impression and steals every scene he's in with ease & finesse.

On an overall scale, Cold in July is a tense, gripping & expertly narrated indie that offers an immersive drama which eventually culminates on a highly satisfying & emotionally rewarding note. Worthy of a broader viewership & definitely one of the finest films of the year, not to mention amongst the coolest as well, Jim Mickle's latest film is absolutely worth your time & money and comes thoroughly recommended.

"Sometimes the good guy wins."

Start with Cape Fear, then merge into Killer Joe with a side Touch of Evil, and you will have an inkling of how macabre and comical Cold In July can be. It touches most of the familiar neo-noir bases including being set in East Texas and in the '80's. Revenge is the name of this game--director Jim Mickle paces the suspense and blood just about right.

Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) and his family experience a home invasion, for which Richard kills the intruder point blank. The murder is reasonable until the corpse's dad, Ben Russel (Sam Shepard, more laconic and bad than ever), shows up just out of prison to menace the Danes for the death of his son. Yet as usual in pulpy noir, not all is as it seems including the motives of the local law enforcers and the identity of the dead "son."

Add to the grimy mix the Dixie mafia, who produce snuff videos using young girls. Russel is affected because it involves his son (even bad guys have the blues.)

The revenge formula ramps up considerably and the film becomes gleefully unglued with the advent of Don Johnson's swaggering detective, Jim Bob. His red Caddy convertible with the steer horn on the grille and his florid outfits signal an out-sized noir character channeling Matthew McConaughey from Killer Joe with a touch of Orson Welles' evil south of the border. A serious pig farmer, Jim Bob is hilarious as the swashbuckling, cheesy hunter. But make no mistake—he can give physically as good as he gets with some impressive sleuth work to boot.

The center of the darkness is Richard, a seemingly solid citizen who has the ambiguous demons usually reserved for the noir hero (think of Bogey's characters). His strong revulsion at the murder passes into something less than that but more than just vigilantism. Anyway, the blood bath at the end is worth seeing for its noir excess and dark humor.

Very few characters in this delightful summer indie get out unscathed, and some indeed find July very cold.

A neo-noir directed by Jim Micklee based on a novel by Joe Lansdale, a dark, grim and gritty tale of retaliation and retributions. The ramifications of a murder, lead to the carnage and involved people can go at any length. This is not your usual thriller but a compelling mysterious story which keeps us at the edge of our seats.

Set in 1989 Texas, Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) a common family man, one night defensively guns down an intruder. The police quickly identify the corpse as a wanted criminal and bury him. Richard still feels the remorse of killing a human being and goes to the cemetery where the dead man's father Ben Russell (Sam Shepard) threatens to kill Richard's young son. In order to save his family Richard takes police help however consequently he unfolds some secrets, now Richard and Ben will take the assistance of a brash private detective, Jim Bob (Dan Johnson), to crawl to the core of Richard's uncertainty.

The narrative is paced with lots of twists and turns to keep us engaged throughout the run time of 150 minutes. The minute details of 80's Texas are just impeccable. The screenplay will keep you on your toes as the tension builds subsequently. The overwhelming final shot portrays a brutal and stylized violent scene which is fresh and instinctual. However, some of the details are missing here as the some unexplained loose ends which are not tied and there should have been a better female cast.

The performances are brilliant, Hall is stellar as a protective family man and the transformation his character is immaculate. Shepard is remarkable as a distressed father, looking for his son. Johnson is a scene stealer having as much fun as anyone can within such confine.

Cold in July is a captivating experience with tense and unsettling tone. The independent cinema is at its best.

My Vite 7.5/10