Treed Murray

Unenlightening social observations mar what's essentially an emotionally-driven confrontation film. As it is, there's too much pandering to typical urban stereotypes and cheesy melodrama instead of simply a raw struggle for survival. Engaging enough, but way too practical when it should have been primitive.

I caught this on cable last night and have to say that this was as riveting and shocking in places as Larry Clark's "Kids". To have a movie shot in one location solely relying on its script-writing is unusual, but a script working as effectively as this certainly provides a breath of fresh air. A hugely inventive and original film - see this or miss out.

This Canadian film is one of the best in reflecting young delinquents' life and psychology. It is about a man, Murray who takes a shortcut in a city park, and loses direction. He is confronted with a young boy, Carter who demands him five dollars for directions. After a confrontation, Murray kicks Carter, and a gang appears. Murray runs away and climbs a tree. After not being able to bring Murray down, the band decides to wait for him, so they will be able to punish him. The whole action of the movie will happen on this tree. We will have the opportunity to get an insight in a gang's life, and the film will be full of interesting dialogs between the gang members and Murray.

The screenplay is very good, the characters are good, essential for a low budget film like this. The characters are always innovating. There is only one location, and a low number of characters. But the good screenplay, and the good acting performance distracts the attention from this. A nice movie, must be seen if you have time.

Taking a page from old-fashioned, one-off thrillers from the Sixties and Seventies like LADY IN A CAGE or THE INCIDENT, writer/director William Phillips uses a deceptively simple plot to produce a psychological thriller/character study that at the very least is engaging. Thank goodness the producers made sure that it got a title change before reaching American screens. As it is, the new title "GET DOWN" may trick some people into thinking this is some kind of disco period piece like CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC. For anyone who may have given this film the brush-off for that reason, let me assure you: this one is WAY better.

The premise is straight to the point: a harried businessman, John Murray (David Hewlett from the excellent CUBE, another controversial indie flick), is on his way to work downtown, and probably late. Not wanting to be bothered by the homeless people and the panhandlers, he decides to take a short cut through the city park. Bad luck for him. On the way, he is stopped by a young thug whom he asks for directions. The teen demands money for his help, and when Murray refuses, the kid blocks his way and demands his wallet. P*ssed off by this, Murray pops the kid in the face with his briefcase, which results in the sudden appearance of the rest of the "gang" the young thug belongs to. WORSE luck for him.

A chase ensues, and a desperate Murray resorts to the only thing he thinks will prevent him from a severe beating: he climbs a very tall tree. Hence the title. Now a war of words, wills and wild attempts to get at him begins, revealing things about Murray and the young punks who are after him, that let the audience in on one important truth...none of us is better than anyone else, even when we'd like to believe we are. Because as it turns out, we are more alike than we want to admit, or may even realize.

For a small, short film with no big names to speak of, there are strong performances all round, with Hewlett leading the cast. Murray is not a likeable character, even when we know that he's in the right about defending himself, yet Hewlett still manages to make him seem human and flawed, rather than outright hateful, which would've been a major hardship for the film to overcome.

All the young performers are fairly good, with Cle Bennett a remarkable standout as the "gang's" leader, Shark. He has a lot of the same vibe and style as ANGEL'S J. August Richards, and I suspect it won't be too long before we end up seeing him getting a lot more work.

Though the socio-political and economic issues addressed here have reviewed before, and in much better fashion in other movies, at least Phillips guides his cast in a way that makes it all seem fresh and original. That said, the director couldn't miss throwing in a least one homage, namely to John Carpenter. It involves a very unexpectedly creepy scene, in which Murray witnesses first hand, the one thing that makes his aggressors actually run for the hills, (or in this case, the bushes.) It is a very goosebump-raising scene that carries with it echoes of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK or ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, and you've gotta love somebody with enough smarts and savvy to give 'props' to those two classics.

I'll give this four out of five stars. A bigger name cast and a more seasoned director would have raised GET DOWN'S cinematic pedigree, but as is, it won't leave you bored, and not too disappointed, (unless, like me, you don't get into the anti-climactic finish.)

If you were to read a summary of a film about a man stuck in a tree and you weren't at least intrigued about how a director and actors could sustain a film for about 94 minutes about a man in a tree then you clearly are a person with no curiosity. If like me you are a curious person then you have to watch this film and if you are not curious then i especially insist that you watch this film.

Simple concept. Business man Murry is on his way to work and to avoid homeless people and the crowd takes a short cut through the park. On the way he is stopped by a 14 year old who demands five bucks for directions. Murry who is not keen and to waste five bucks knocks the youth in the face unfortunately for him the rest of the gang pops out and Murry runs. Tired and with no way out he climbs a tree. From here on in is the setting of the film, Murry in a tree surrounded with five youths.

The acting by the entire cast is of high quality David Hewlett's performance as Murry is just a pleasure to watch as he tries to save himself but as he also reveals more of his sort comings. As the film progress' your perception of all the characters change as you realise that everyone is both heroic and no-heroic. The depth and breath of the characters is what makes this film intriguing, this film is purely about people and the lengths people go to survive and to belong to something.