Wade in the Water

The new dark semi-comic domestic drama "Wade in the Water" practically defies description. Still, I'm gonna give it my best shot. Kinna like a main character in this flick does.

Director Mark Wilson's interpretation of a mega offbeat story by Chris Retts takes us on a mesmerizing journey encompassing, among other things, at home telemarketing, independent So-Cal fast food joints, the U.S. Post Office, dancing on the beach and vintage typewriters. And that's not even a thorough list. Add to this eclectic mix the infinitely more troubling elements of family dysfunction, child molestation and murder and you have a movie that really must be seen to both understand as well as approach appreciation.

Tom E. Nicholson is flat-out Oscar worthy here. The reality that he won't even be nominated, or even seen, by The Academy takes not one damn shred away from his raw, raunchy and heartrending performance. Danika Golombek ("I Am The Night") matches Nicholson's standard as the completely unlikely other half of the weird relationship referenced in this review's title.

These two lost souls are caught in the current of a tense and tenuous bond that can not continue. And we as an audience are the benefactors of watching this most dubious pair navigate through unspeakably troubled waters.

This is a very cool indie movie about a man who discovers a dark secret and decides to take the law into his own hands. It very much has a "Blue Ruin" feel. It's almost darkly funny throughout. The two lead actors play off of each other well, and Danika Golombek especially is a talent to watch. This film really wowed me, highly recommended.

Saw this movie yesterday off Amazon Prime, the current 7.9 IMDB rating pumped up by a few dozen insider 10 ratings. For a low budget project, basically two actor driven drama, it's fine, really just an average movie (which is frankly good these days with so much absolute trash out there). I was fine watching this but would not see a need to recommend to others. Story a bit unrealistic in my opinion but it sort of works.

Low key and Lo-Fi it might be, but this still exerts a powerful pull. "Our Man", the dysfunctional main character (as listed in the credits) receives a packet in the mail that's not meant for him, which sends him on the road to retribution and the confronting of his own demons. It is, in its own way, bleakly funny, almost serving at times as a "Taxi Driver" parody, and someone else has rightly identified "Blue Ruin" as another strong influence. As Our Man, Tom E Nicholson is quietly effective, but the real find is Danika Golombek, as the daughter of his victim, with whom he forms an unlikely friendship. She has an amazingly expressive face and is genuinely touching and funny in their scenes together. If you're looking for thrills and excitement, this might not be for you, but it's definitely worth a look.

This popped up in my 'movies you might like' list, so I took a chance on it. Really enjoyed it. It's definitely something different, but is a well-acted interesting story, and it even has a decent ending, unlike many films I've seen lately. All of the characters were likeable. Definitely not a formulaic buddy movie.