Separados Pelo Sangue

What a great feature film debut. Nichols shows a certain restraint and control of everything on screen here in a way that makes you think he's a pro, even if visually the fllm looks rather simple and to-the-point. The ensemble here is really fantastic, led by an always-reliable Michael Shannon. The film could've easily came off as having escalated way too quickly, and maybe even unrealistic, but Nichols manages to handle everything with restraint and, again, a clear hand of how to demonstrate a story like this realistically. This film certainly is contemplative in its nature and not a 'thrilling" film by any means, and nichols needs to be congratulated for not embracing the violence as just some entertainment.

This is a chilling film made with minimal resources that grabs you by the jugular and doesn't let go - a family tragedy that reeks of Shakespeare. A father has died leaving two sets of sons behind (by different mothers). The older sons were abandoned when young and when they turn up at the funeral held by the younger sons, old hostilities surface. Much of the narrative unfolds without explicit explanation, and often with minimal dialogue. We get into the minds of the various protagonists largely by their actions.

Set in the cotton-growing region of Arkansas, it gives a view of Americans struggling in semi-rural life. The film cast is mostly with unknown actors and this is a strength that adds a level of realism to a film. While there is a sense of dreaded inevitability throughout, there is also plenty of room for the unexpected, but not in a contrived Hollywood manner. The film is both very well written and impeccably directed. Remarkably, this is a directorial debut by Jeff Nichols who also wrote and produced the film. He is definitely a talent to watch.

As a slight negative, I don't know if it was the film or the venue, but the visuals and sound didn't seem quite up to scratch. This bothered me slightly at the start, but once the story got into gear (pretty early in the piece), it was barely noticeable. I found the music enjoyable, adding ambiance without being in your face.

I saw Shotgun Stories at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

A strong debut from gifted writer-director Jeff Nichols, "Shotgun Stories" (2007) features some fine performances from Michael Shannon and the rest of the cast. It's dark but down-to-earth in the depiction of the mechanisms of poverty.

I've seen Michael Shannon in too many movies to mention, but he may get his due this year with an Oscar nomination for Revolutionary Road. This indie, shot in the State I spent a lot of my growing up years in, is an excellent performance for him. Most of the others in this movie about family tension and revenge are new to acting.

Wars between families and clans are nothing new. There are the famous Hatfields and McCoys, and I just watched L' Héritage (The Legacy) that had the same subject. Here, a daddy left three sons and went off to start a new family. They come together at the funeral, but the abandoned clan set off a feud when they dissed the old man.

It was a slow movie, with a few fights, and it verged on exploding, but family wins out and bloodshed is minimal.

Jeff Nichols' debut film "Shotgun Stories" marked him out as a major talent, something than has been more than realized in the ten years since it was made. It's a great piece of back-roads Americana, thinly plotted but brilliantly observed and superbly acted by a largely unknown cast, (only a young Michael Shannon is familiar to me), as well as being beautifully photographed by Adam Stone in a style reminiscent of early Malick and the early films of one of its producers, David Gordon Greene.

It's set in rural Arkansas and deals with a family feud between two sets of half-brothers. The pace is leisurely and there's little in the way of action despite the promise of the title. When violence does finally erupt it is shocking, if not unexpected, and largely happens off-screen. It remains one of the best American Indies of the last 10 years.