The River King

The movie had everything set up to be a great feature, but instead turned out to be a dud. Very disappointing.

It starts out with a body found in the river. Two cops find it (one being Ed Burns). They flip flop from being completely inept to actually caring. While they're not sure what to do with the body, they notice a strange feature on the corpse's chest. Ed Burns takes this case seriously as everyone else wants to dismiss it so quickly as a suicide or accident. This is the great plot build up. The rest is downhill.

Movie is still nice to watch if you like Ed Burns but a drag on entertainment.

The River King is a refreshing movie. It has none of the usual clichés. The plot is not predictable. The movie presents the viewer with little hooks and clues that leave one wondering about how they all come together. At times, I was left wondering what type of movie is this? Is it a horror movie? Is it sci-fi? Is it a ghost story? The actors performed their roles convincingly. The character Abel Grey leads the viewer to believe in what he suspects is happening, that he is right. Carlin's character has the right balance, not too dumb, not too incredibly (ie unrealistically) smart, just like a regular person. No super heroes in this movie.

The cinematography and background music is so seductive and blends very well with the subject of the film. The time just fly by as the main characters arrive at a very plausible ending.

If you're tired of comic book hero movies, or TV-like stories, or violence, or CSI-like sleuthing then check out 'The River King'. I'm really happy that I did.

I don't know why it is called "The River King", but it is a compelling movie. It has a good story line. There are some great possible endings and at least one of the best was selected. Any weak moments are covered over pretty well by the fine, believable acting of Edward Burns. Jennifer Ehle is worth watching anytime. Rachelle LeFevre should do well in the acting business. I'd recommend the movie to anyone who is interested in entertainment without unrealistic computer graphics. It was most entertaining. While it may well perpetuate the "myth" that all elite schools have bad boys leading other bad boys in deadly hazing rituals, it does not portray them in a good light.

As a thriller, The River King is as fast paced as thawing ice. Its intensity is in the isolation and disillusionment of a man who is determined to uncover the truth, though nothing is what it seems.

The body of a teenage boy is discovered in an ice-clogged river and two local cops from the bumbling school of "what do we do now?" investigate his death. An accident, suicide or homicide? Seems straightforward, except that one of the cops is seeing things that aren't there and a photography teacher is developing some eerie pictures. A conspiracy, misperception, or paranormal haunting? This intriguing film that uses sleight of hand to make you think it is about one thing, when it is actually about another.

No extras on the DVD.

I like to like movies that qualify as small gems. TRK had all the potential for such and, for the first forty minutes or so, looked to qualify. The acting wasn't bad (Ed Burns is just a bit too low key) the script is crisp and the pacing, shoot and story suspenseful. Indeed there were a dozen different prospects for; e.g., who the bad guy was going to be. I can't agree with some of the other comments herein that there was enough mood, fine acting, dialog, etc., to distinguish TRK as excellent cinema. But again, after more than a half hour I'm totally absorbed by the plot potential.

It is almost as if TRK sets up the viewer for a thousand possibilities only to intentionally fulfill absolutely none of them. A move "fizzles" when it paints itself into a corner then escapes in a clumsy manner. TRK paints itself into a corner and then climbs out a window. Again, there are not enough fine points about this movie to make it enjoyable on another level. Virtually every aspect of the build-up centers on facts, twists, questions, etc., that go unanswered. It is truly difficult to imagine what the makers of TRK wanted the viewer to enjoy about this movie.