Galveston

A silent, sad story. Too real. I love it, but I'll never watch it for the second time.

Noir film, brilliantly acted by Ben Foster, who deserves to be a major star. Familiar premise of a hitman who rescues a teenage prostitute and goes on the lam with her and her young daughter. Somewhat overacted by Elle Fanning, who needed to rein in the histrionics - a mistake by the director.. The story holds up well, with twists and turns along the way. Unfortunately the ending lets the whole thing down. Illogical and rushed (as other reviewers have noted!) the story simply peters out instead of ending with a bang. A shame as there was enough good acting and originality to the story to have made it a good watch. Interesting to note that Wikipedia reports the write took his name of the credits when the director made changes he disagreed with. Would have been nice to have seen the original ending instead of the director's.

Yeesh. This is a tough movie to watch.

This is not an "action crime thriller" as it's categorized on IMDB, because there's only one "action" scene so to speak. This is more like a crime drama, but it's filmed like a thriller. It has that gritty, low-saturated gauze about it.

However, the film itself is about the cycle of people making bad decisions that come back to bite them as they attempt to turn a sour life into a good one.

Ben Foster really is the driving force of the film here; he's a powerhouse on the screen, and he portrays a character of little words. His character's backstory is told through small bits and pieces throughout the film, while the tattoos, facial expressions, and his mannerisms explain the rest.

Yet the film is not a revenge piece like the description may lead you to believe. It's a realistically told crime tale about two people coming out of a really bad situation trying to make the best of it, but they just don't know how. This movie does not follow Hollywood's typical action beats so don't watch this while you're in a depressed state or a low mood.

Even still, Foster has been racking up a filmography of truly worthwhile films. He's been selective and intelligent with his choices, appearing in a lot of indie flicks that hit you hard.

This one definitely hits you hard.

It's 1988 New Orleans. Roy (Ben Foster) is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He's a hitman sent to kill a crime lord but the man isn't there. He ends up rescuing captive Rocky (Elle Fanning). She's 19 and hoping to work as an escort. She refuses to leave his side as he sets off on a road trip to Galveston.

Famed French actress Mélanie Laurent is the director. She has a good visual eye. The story flows well but it does have a few bumps on the road. Foster is playing the strong, silent type but it would serve the movie well if he has more conversations with Rocky. I like most of their interactions. Elle's big emotional scene does go too hard. Obviously, Mélanie directed her to stretch out her acting skills but she may not be capable yet. Also I think it would be more powerful if she tries to stifle her pain inside. When Roy gets to his destination, the scene needs some more depth to the reason why he needed to see that woman. It also doesn't make sense that he would return to Rocky unless it is set up better. Overall, Foster continues to be an underrated actor and Elle is at least trying to do more than being the ingenue.

This is one of the best flicks I have watched in a long time. The story is excellent and the acting is excellent. Definitely worth watching.