Love Comes to the Executioner

Kyle Bergersen wrote and directed this very strange comedic film noir, a movie that didn't get a lot of attention in its theatrical release but that is gaining a following in the DVD format. It is smart, clever, weird, and very well made. Bergersen has the ability to take a rather silly story to reveal a lot of important questions about education, capital punishment, prison life, and the delicate balance between humanity and inhumanity! LOVE COMES TO THE EXECUTIONER works.

Heck Prigusivac (Jonathan Tucker) is a fresh graduate form college, having majored in Latin and Romance Languages, who returns to his small hometown where his ditsy alcoholic mother Miriam (Christine Ebersole) struggles with her addiction and with the fact that her son Chick (Jeremy Renner) sits on Death Row in the neighboring prison. Heck lands a job teaching Latin to the inmates, but with the proviso that he also accept the job as Closer (or Executioner). Heck adjusts to the strange situation and manages to learn the trade of capital punishment by lethal injection. He confronts his estranged brother Chick on death row and the two have word battles about their relationship AND the fact that Chick's ex-girlfriend Dori Dumchovic (Ginnifer Goodwin) is the first female to sit on death row a few cells down form Chick. Heck and Dori flirt and Heck 'falls' for Dori, actually impregnating her in the confines of the prison. Heck manages to become a popular Latin teacher with the inmates, but has some psychological stress as the Closer - especially as the time for Heck to execute Dori approaches. Through a clever trick that backfires, Heck agrees to help Dori escape the prison so that the two can raise their 'child', but Chick's streetwise abilities alter the plan, and love doesn't exactly stay around for the executioner! Tucker, Renner, and Goodwin play the script straight and manage to draw us into their individual plights and dilemmas. The cinematography by Jimmy Lindsey keeps this 'interior' film exciting, even during the rather gross execution scenes. It is a strange way to present anti-capital punishment information, along side the death of the teaching of Latin and the Romance languages as markers for civility, that makes this film worth watching. It is a notch above the similar stories that dumb down the audience. Grady Harp

This is a mixed film - it could be darker, it could be funnier - but the plotting was unpredictable, and there are moments of strangeness.

The characters are too whimsical to be really effective - even in broad comedy. The ideas though are original - though I got the sense that the writers sat and said how can we make this more original - but originality is no substitute for soul - and though the filming, script, and acting are good the film lacks a soul - it ends up feeling like a darker but weakly weak episode of My Name is Earl - and it just isn't funny enough. The humor is OK, but it definitely is not on target most of the time.

Could have been the next Buppa Ho-Tep ends up as a kookie film without a soul...

If hell exists, this movie will win an Oscar over there. The torture would be that you will be made to watch it, and watch it get an Oscar.

TOTAL WAISTE OF TIME, LIFE AND ENERGY.

Story sucked, started sort of OK, might have been something but then turned into some stupid boring redneck crap. I had to forward it to see the end and that's it.

I waisted 40 min before I realised that this is going nowhere.

When it started and we got to the death row topic, thought this might be an interesting "noir" ,some sort of black comedy about death row.

Turned out it is SH#T.

I was surprised to see how low viewer ratings were for this fun, quirky film. The only way I can imagine someone not liking the movie would be if they have a hard time appreciating unconventional, bizarre, boundary breaking themes or they aren't in the mood for strange humor. It had the same tone as Clay Pigeons or similar films.I kept thinking, as I was watching the film, how well the director and actors were able to pull it off, given the subject matter, the weirdness of the dialog,events, and circumstances in the story. This is one of the most imaginative and intelligent stories I have seen in terms of a tongue in cheek depiction of philosophical and ethical quandaries. I am a fan of Jonathan Tucker and Christine Ebersole(more than ever after viewing this film). All the major roles were well played, the cinematography,excellent, and camera work, extremely clever.

Just sat down to breakfast and this came on Starz. had no idea what to expect. Laughing hysterically, although the subject matter wouldn't make you think so! Crying, (real man-tears) by the end!

Yes it's a dark comedy, think Heathers or something similar. Great cast, non-stop quoteables in it! I know this differs from the other review but I say give it a shot! Jeremy Renner is a hot actor. I saw him in "CSI" and "Dahmer". I'm suggesting this to people who enjoy interesting cinema!

Give it a shot and you should be pleasantly surprised. Christine Ebersole is in it too, and I almost didn't recognize her!

Have fun!