Undertow

So, I wanted to see this movie because it was recommended for me and it was an indie drama which boasted a well rounded cast. The plot centers around two sons, Jamie Bell and Devon Alan, who are on the run after their uncle, Josh Lucas, whom they've never met before comes to live with them and actually ends up murdering their father, Dermot Mulroney. They meet lots of fascinating characters along the way and the storyline is reminiscent of Tom Sawyer only much darker. I'm on the fence with the editing in this one. I can see that they used freeze frames very liberaly in order to acheive the look they wanted for the time period. Even though that sort of editing does match to the time period, it still looks amateurish and distracting. I think they could have found a more subtle way to convey the feeling of the movie. Editing aside, the cinematography was beautiful, especially during the chase sequences. The natural beauty of the geography was really captured in this movie. Jamie Bell gives a really great performance and really carries quite a bit of the movie by himself. Devon Alan, playing his younger brother, is a genius and very well versed for his age. There is an entire sequence which was completed ad-libed by the 11 year old actor which speaks for itself. Josh Lucas does really great portraying this very hard dynamic character of a brother scorned who wants to do right on the surface but can't help to revert to his own ways and instant self-satisying gratification. Demot gives a good performance and is really believable as a southern farm worker although there wasn't enough time really spent on his character to give us much more. It was overall a good drama with a nostalgic feel. It was less about the action and suspense than it was about the characters and their relationships. Sidenote, this was filmed in only 30 days which is amazing. Great quote, "Sometimes, it's the strange things that stick with you".