Chrystal

Chrystal is a tragic story told with the well-crafted vision of Ray McKinnon. Visually, it is a beautiful glimpse of middle America in all its raw serenity. Its violence at times, although uncomfortable, seems necessary to provide the realism of the situation and the lives of these people.

It is a simple story of heartfelt emotion between a couple that has suffered and been broken by the loss of their child. Billy Bob Thorton and Lisa Blount battle through their individual pains, emotions and confusions with great fortitude and delivery. The story unfolds slowly, but is worth taking the journey. The supporting cast is stellar. Colin Firth as Hog is a treat.

This remarkable and completely unique film had me on the edge of my seat from the moment I heard the haunting music playing on a cello in the opening scene. I knew from the choice of this instrument when most would use a banjo or other traditional instruments common to mountain culture, that I was in for many surprises. The entire score was brilliant.

Ray McKinnon's script and direction is so original and painfully real and passionate. Just when the reality is too much to bear he makes you laugh so hard your belly aches. The acting by the entire cast, including that wonderful dog as broken as the family, is perfection. The fight scene is a ballet and nobody since Peter O'Toole moves as well as Ray McKinnon with such self-abandonment.

His performance as Snake is at once very funny and terrifying. Lisa Blount gives a performance of a lifetime. It is a difficult role which could easily have been one dimensional or overdone but she brings subtlety, nuances and richness to this character that is so fragile that you just want to reach into the screen and comfort her.

Billy Bob Thornton breaks your heart with his strong portrayal of the husband so consumed with guilt that he sets up a situation to allow himself to be beaten into a pulp to be punished for his sin.

The location and production design captures the Ozarker's uncommon and palpable sense of place and the junk sculpture in the yard is such a touching metaphor for a broken family welded together, with hope to heal and create a future. The last moment will take your breath away. I hope this film gets a chance to be seen by everyone. I feel grateful to have discovered it.

I am not much of an "indy" film person, but really this didn't look or carry like an independent film. The production quality and the acting were on par or better than any studio release I have seen. It is good in the way that Saving Private Ryan was good. Ultimately it is a pretty depressing story, but a good story none-the-less.

Some of the dialog was down right hilarious which maybe seems misplaced in a dark story of this type but it actually worked to lighten the story overall. I really thought for the most part the acting was from good to great. There are a couple of classic scenes between Ray Mckimmon and Billy Bob Thorton that just steal the movie.

The scenery it's self is a big part of the story as well and some of the shots are just plain beautiful. No offense to the folks in Arkansas, but when you hear Arkansas you don't normally associate it with beauty, but it really is pretty.

So ya ultimately I thought it was a pretty good flick.

Chrystal proved to be well worth watching. As usual, Billy Bob picks a movie with odd quirks and deeper meanings. His character Joe seeks forgiveness and a possible reconciliation with his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) after causing a wreck that kills their small son. Chrystal is also left with severe physical scars as well as mental wounds that will not heal. His return to Chrystal after a 20 year prison sentence is the central storyline. Billy Bob delivers a sad and touching performance as Joe. Lisa Blount does an excellent job as Chrystal. You feel her pain and hurt as you watch her struggle to deal with a life that has turned upside down. My favorite of all in this film was Walton Goggins' character,Larry. Goggins is an excellent actor, and "Larry," provides just enough comic relief (whether intended or not) to keep this movie from being too depressing to watch. Being a Southerner myself, I enjoyed the dialogue and Arkansas scenery. "Chrystal," while seeming deceptively simple, is an excellent film dealing with the struggle to find understanding with the often tough blows we receive in a harsh world.

Chrystal is a movie that just won't leave you alone after you've seen it. It takes its time and burrows under your skin. Scenes take on a feeling of real time not 'reel time'. Directed by supremely talented Ray McKinnon, produced by McKinnon and Lisa Blount who completely possesses the title role, this film is a haunting look at what happens to people who will not and in fact, cannot put their overwhelming and powerful feelings into words. Someone once said, "There are rooms of experience that you and I will never enter." Well, that may be true in most cases, but McKinnon and his cast take you into one of these rooms and leave you there long enough so that you won't soon forget it. Balanced skillfully between moments that will make you twist and turn in your seat and moments of unexpected levity, this dark, Gothic Southern tale of loss leads to a strange kind of redemption. It will raise questions long after you leave the cinema. And how many movies these days do that? Don't miss it. It's a jewel.