Thunder Road

Having seen Jim Cummings' The Wolf of Snow Hollow only recently which left me super impressed, I figured I might as well check out his breakthrough feature. And now that I've seen it, I have to say that he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting & promising talents working in the industry today. And Thunder Road is a brilliant showcase of his prowess as a writer, director & actor.

Written, directed, composed & co-edited by Cummings who also plays the lead in this picture, this feature film serves as an extension of his 2016 short of the same name and opens with an unbroken 12-mins long scene of a police officer giving a eulogy for his mother which immediately sets the mood & tone of the rest of the story which follows our protagonist as he suffers a personal meltdown.

The real highlight of this film is the way it balances & blends elements of flat-out comedy & poignant drama in the same setup, at times in the same exact moment. It's not an easy thing to pull off, for it looks rather absurd when it goes wrong but Cummings not only makes it all work perfectly, he truly revels in those scenes. His live wire input in front of the camera is just as impressive as his solid effort behind it.

Overall, Thunder Road is a sharp, slick & side-splitting indie that brims with heart & honesty, and makes for an awkward yet effective blend of heartbreak & hilarity. Led by Jim Cummings' superb direction, smart writing & spectacular performance and also assisted by its breezy pace, fluid camerawork & neat editing, the film is a roller-coaster ride that's simultaneously amusing & heartrending, and is one indie gem you should definitely check out.

I don't think I got an experience watching a movie like this one , it made me laugh , it made me sad , made me laugh while being sad , sad while laughing , and Jim Cummings great performance really helped make that happen . The timing of comedy yeah was weird and in other movies I would hate it but I don't know why but it wasn't a problem for me . Yeah some scenes felt pointless to the story overall but they were also enjoyable . Jim wanted to talk about many things in his movie but I think the main idea is the feeling of losing everything and everyone you love and acting like you are still in control and that everything is just fine . So I will be looking forward for more from him.

Saw this a Hell's Half Mile Film fest in Bay City, Michigan and Jim Cummings wrote, directed and gave a stunning lead performance in this festival gem, which I believe is his first full feature after bouncing around doing short films and a little TV work. He has the acting chops to pull off his own written vision of this unstable police officer who can slip from calm, deranged and sorrowful multiple times within one scene. Impressive for he must do this most if not all of this 90 minute film carrying off this complicated character through losing his mother, wife in divorce, his job and every thing he holds dear as he sinks into despair. I hope this propels his movie making skills to new wide release films in the future.

Jim is a Texas police officer whose life is falling apart. His mother just died and his estranged wife plans to move away with their daughter. Though he pretends everything is fine, he has difficulties to cope with the situation, his unpredictable reactions making things worse. Alternating between tragedy and comedy, « Thunder road » explores human vulnerability and celebrates male sensitivity. The issue of toxic masculinity is implicitly addressed, the question being: how can you deal with your emotions if, as a man, you have always been told to repress them? Jim Cummings gives a strong performance. Despite overacting at times, he succeeds in making his character endearing. The most touching moments are the ones he spends with his daughter, trying his best to take care of her. This low budget movie is a good surprise. I enjoyed its quirky atmosphere. It is a rewarding experience until the end, the closing credits being visually and musically beautiful (with a moving violin and cello orchestration of « Skinny Love » by Vitamin String Quartet).

It's not often I enjoy a film with such constant tonal shifts throughout, but I did with this one. The film essentially made me laugh, made me emotive and made me think - which is all a viewer can ask for really. Right from the extraordinary opening monologue, the film grabs the viewer and reels you into the heady mix of comedy and tragedy. Some are going to hate this movie because of that. There are moments of black comedy placed into scenes of real drama - which shouldn't really work. But it does. For me at least.

The focus is on single parenting, life, stress, happiness, anxiety, mental health, love. Jim Cummings wrote, directed and starred in it - and you can tell he totally believed in this project by the performance he puts in. Although he can possibly be accused of overracting at times, he is quite brilliant at others. There are some flawed moments - some real "wtf" scenes with a potential dealbreaking third act.

The placement of comedy is the talking point in many places. But overall I would recommend this movie for those who are suckers for an indie dramedy. 7.5 / 10.