Cast:
Michael Shannon (Roy Tomlin), Joel Edgerton (Lucas), Kirsten Dunst (Sarah Tomlin), Adam Driver (Paul Sevier), Jaeden Lieberher (Alton), Sam Shepard (Pastor Calvin Meyer), Bill Camp (Doak), and Scott Haze (Levi) Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols.
Review:
“I never wanted to make movies just for me. I want to make movies that people watch.”
Whether through studio productions or independent ones, the director/writer can make their mark any which way they can, whether through story or aesthetic. Jeff Nichols, raised in Arkansas as the son of a furniture store owner, grew up with a love of films from directors like John Carpenter and Steven Spielberg. He studied at the University of North Carolina School of Arts, and it was a suggestion from his father to do a film about "a place you know that others don’t" that led to Shotgun Stories (2007), made on the cheap over the span of three years. Take Shelter (2011) raised attention for the director/writer, but it was Mud (2012) that fully put him on the map more in terms of notice. This was his fourth feature film alongside his first studio production, made on a budget of $18 million. Nichols was influenced by films such as Starman (1984) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) in terms of their structure and aesthetic when it comes to the sci-fi chase, one that aspires to have the viewer follow the mystery like his other films, even if it happens to have a bit more CGI than his other works. He had just become a father at the time of writing, and it certainly seemed to play an influence in his writing here.
While the film wasn't exactly a great success upon release, it is easy to see where it could spring interest as a hidden favorite. Sometimes you need a slow burn kind of mystery film, particularly one that takes itself on the road for science fiction within a family setting. It aspires for a bit of transcendence with quiet styling that keeps us in the dark to our own imagination. Sure, it is the story of a kid and other folks on the run, but it is the responsibility taken by Nichols to generate a curious story to come around to its own path that makes it at least good enough to glance across the aisle of interest. It might not be as great as its influences, but it certainly works just fine in expressing itself as a film about belief, whether that means one of a prophet, or of logic, or the most important one in family. The 112 minutes come out with fascination over what comes out to us closely without needing each detail spelled out to us, where a few effects can come along with their own interest and not blur the line of subtlety. One starts with Shannon (who has featured in every film directed by Nichols), who does quite well here in expressing parental devotion with worthwhile intensity. Edgerton doesn't say too much, but he still proves useful in rolling along with the mystery in quiet edge. Dunst appears on her own time as the last crucial piece of the main five, but she does worthwhile in showing reasoned grace with a part that utilizes her with effective quiet power in the climax. Driver does just fine with inquisitive curiosity, while Lieberher makes for a useful youthful presence to tie it all together with mystery that never seems to play to whims for the camera, while Shepard and Camp make useful support for brief scenes together. As a whole, it winds itself in mystery for involvement when it comes to a story about parents and belief within sci-fi trappings that ultimately will prove rewarding for those willing to come along for the ride for a careful adventure with interest that may inspire a sense of wonder, packing an ending that will at least inspire some discussion to it. In the end, that should prove more than enough for a good time and a worthy experience for a director striving to make a mark in storytelling.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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