American Pets

I was in a mood to watch a trifle about the pretty blond people of Hollywood being cruel... and this movie filled the bill. Sure, there were some logic holes (how many days until a body goes ripe?) but I was willing to overlook them because it was so damn pretty to watch. And yes Charlotte, there is a dark soul behind the gates of Olympus and the blood looks just as black under the moonlight.

If you liked The Day of the Locust and Sunset Blvd., consider this their B-list progeny.

The story is about an accidental shooting. And things work out pretty well. I gave it an 8 since 4.7 is deeply unfair, but of course there is much to criticize.

"The Grand Son" has a very nouveau riche decadence, "after the light begins to die" feeling that is as captivating as it is addictive to watch. The story is well written, filled with tortured souls, devoid of empathy, and stained Americana. The characters are 'Fargo-esque, in their "not quite right behind the eyes" personas , and social impropriety. Almost avant garde.

The acting is top notch with a great cast of talent. Rhys is perfectly suited as the male lead , with equal props going to all the cast. I wish Danielle Campbell would have had a stronger presence, but other than that everything about the acting was great.

The cinematography style and choices taken, frame this modern Gothic tale strikingly. As if channeling Ryan Murphy will doing a tribute film to "Cruel Intentions". It is a slow burn drama with psychological edges. The only downside was the low tone and casual pace didn't really allow for any suspense. So the thrill is limited to the drama and downward spiral of Wakefield's character as the situation spins out of control. Still "The Grand Son" is well worth the watch- just not for the guts and gory crowd.

I really enjoyed watching this. It reminded me a bit of a movie called Under the Silver Lake - in terms of it's style and "What the friggin heck am I watching here?" kind of state of mind I had.

I read an interview where they said they shot the whole thing in 14 days. Wow. There would be many movies with far larger budgets that are way inferior to this.

I liked the camera angles and the lighting (lots of red light, and quite a lot of dark old fashioned rooms).

I was pretty glued to the screen actually, wondering where it was all going to end up. I hated the main character, I wanted to strangle him - which just shows what a great job he did.

Detailed and brilliantly put together piece of work. An absolute gem!