The River Thief

I found this film because I have enjoyed Wilson's novels. Each of his novels features a full, rich, earthy depiction of some town or place in the United States. When I read these books I feel these places and when watching this film, I could feel the town, the river, and the regular people who lived there.

The actors were fine, but a couple of performances were weak. Probably, the acting was the weakest component of the film.

The cinematography was a high point. I think this is where that earthy, tangible feeling for the river town mostly came from.

The music was refreshing and accomplished its purpose. I always enjoy a movie that departs from the standard orchestral score.

I thought the writing was mostly good and the dialog felt natural to me. The story is a good one and heads to places and touches themes that you aren't expecting and in a way that is touching and quite real to me. Some viewers and reviewers may see one character or another as unrealistic, but sometimes that's because you've never met someone like that. To me, the characters are for real. Most of them could easily be someone I know.

I enjoyed this feature debut from writer/producer N. D. Wilson and I find myself looking forward to what he has coming next.

The story takes place in an ordinary small town surrounded by extraordinary riverside country. The characters are down-to-earth. Some may consider the grandpa to be the least realistic, but he actually reminded me of someone I know. (Actually, I've known a few old people throughout my life who knew how to love through their straightforwardness.)

But this movie is more than entertainment. Listen to the end and the message should be inescapable, even for those who generally turn their brains off when staring at a screen.

Ever look inside an uncovered electrical panel? Looks ho-hum, but dare to meddle and - zzzzz-ow!

I dare you to watch this film.

If you're familiar with N.D. Wilson's children's novels, you know you're in for a treat with The River Thief, his first feature film.

This film breaks from the typical Christian film by telling a good story first and foremost. A lost, father-hungry boy discovering true love. Not the sappy, romantic love of your typical Hollywood flick (this girl wouldn't have any of that), but rather the kind of love that creates a longing to live or die for someone else (something new for Diz).

A wonderful family film, although there are some rough scenes. My 7-year-old son was spellbound, and somewhat affected by the rough parts. Yet this is the kind of story that is healthy. The emotion, drama, and violence of this *good* story are like emotional boot camp; it allows a young boy or girl to experience these emotions of grief and fear along with the positive life lesson that a good story provides.

As a resident of the Northwest where this was shot, I also appreciated the cinematography, which was outstanding! Beautiful aerial views in particular. I highly recommend The River Thief!

I'm surprised one of the top user reviews criticizes the end (last 20-30 minutes) of the film. To me, that part is what took it from a decent film, to a great film. It was artistic yet intense, and just great storytelling. I want to say so much more but I really don't want to spoil any specifics for anyone.

The only negative thing I have to say is on the acting. Most of the characters - the boy, the girl, the drug traffickers - did a good job. But the grandpa, while I actually thought he was a good character, just didn't pull off a lot of the lines in a way that seemed natural. The guitar aspect with him was cool, and his attitude and mannerisms fit the character, but I just think a different actor for the grandpa could have done a much better job. Someone with a little more acting experience and gusto.

It was not bad when viewed as a Sunday matinee with my YA nephew and niece. Bas Rutten was a great villain as always and overall it was pretty competent acting on display. I liked the soundtrack as well. Its worth a view if it just happens to show up on your tv screen as long as you don't go into expecting anything else other than a decent Hallmark family feature.