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| Christian Bale on set |
Plot Summary (spoilers)
The script has, let it be said, an audacious opening rivaling Killer Joe's finale with Woody Harrelson playing Curtis DeGroat, the villain of the narrative. For reasons unexplained, he shoves a hot dog down a prostitute's mouth at a drive-in before dispatching her and a chivalrous gentleman who tries to intervene (ah, that lovely road to Hell and its well-intended pavement). It's a visceral attention-grabber for sure. We then shift focus to two brothers Russell (Christian Bale) and Rodney, Jr (Casey Affleck) Baze at a racetrack. Rodney has a gambling problem and it's always his older bro Russell bailing him out, as well as looking after their ailing father Rodney, Sr (as a sidenote: I'm a "Jr" who is the second born son, which, I've been told, is unusual). Russell is a laborious steelworker who takes care of his family and is also in a relationship with waitress (bitch, please) Lena Warren (Zoe Saldana). After working a double shift and a visit to the bar, Russell causes an accident which lands him in jail for a couple of years for manslaughter. He survives the violent atmosphere and duration by defending himself against gangs and relying on his Catholic faith. He's released early on good behavior, but, while he was in the slammer, his father dies, Lena marries the local sheriff Wesley Barnes (Forest Whitaker), and Rodney has just served in the war. Russell returns to their family home in Braddock, manages to get his old job back, and picks up where he left off as much as a person can in his position, even after being diagnosed with cancer. Unbeknownst to Russell, Rodney engages in illegal street fighting. He's not interested in holding down a job, but he loves his extracurricular activity and he's good at it. He implores his bookie John Petty (Willem Dafoe) to score a fighting gig in the extreme rural mountainous Ramapos, where apparently "mulattoes" (the script's words, not mine, as I've been schooled that word is now dated and inappropriate) endeavor their own brand of bloody battles, presided over by onlookers including the remorseless DeGroat. A reluctant Petty makes it happen. And, Rodney, never one to follow directions well, wins the fight high on passion and pride even after Petty instructed him that his role was to throw it and dive. His actions (big surprise) end up getting him and Petty killed. Meanwhile, the brothers Baze's uncle Red (Sam Shepard) has come into town and has been bonding with Russell hunting deer. After they spend some time together and Rodney goes missing, the movie turns into a quest for vigilante justice. More happens, but the details just strike me as too insignificant to relay and comment on; I had already stopped caring by this point.
Script Review (spoilers)
I had a difficult time getting through this script. I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt, but the cliches just kept piling up; I felt suffocated by how predictable and trite the screenplay was. I believe the intentions were in the right place, with Cooper being from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, he examines good people trying to do the right thing surrounded by those who are beaten, shiftless, and/or toxic. He wanted to tell a personal story about "real America." This is a survival tale set outside the far reaches of urban America about family and relationships, and people doing what they can to live within the best of their abilities. But, everything was so superficially dealt with, complete with obviously chosen 80s/90s rock/metal song and classical piece suggestions (one that had already been used recently and memorably for Two Lovers) for the editing room. Perhaps director Cooper will bring something of a higher substance to the proceedings, but it's hard to have faith, when he was responsible for the screenplay of his last film Crazy Heart, which suffered from similar issues. But, there is no Jeff Bridges to sing and save this movie. I just couldn't sign on. This felt like The Deer Hunter written by someone who watched it growing up, not necessarily someone who had experienced it. And Oliver Stone aside, I feel there is something to be said for life experience, or, at least, a little deep insight into the human condition. And that is probably what bothered me most: the lack of life experience is outweighed by the desire to be a storyteller. And, if I'm a jerk who is pulling that out of his asshole out of pure, unsubstantiated conjecture, so be it. But, I don't mean to be, but this is what I thought of the script. As far as Oscar chances, I'm thinking maybe one for supporting actor at the most (for example, if Woody Harrelson--who is written to wear a G-string at one point while engaging in S&M with his partner--tears it up, or perhaps Casey Affleck). Alberto Iglesias was supposedly slated to compose the score, but those duties ended up going to Dickon Hinchliffe of Winter's Bone fame. Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi has been on quite the run lately from Warrior to The Grey and Silver Linings Playbook. Production designer Thérèse DePrez has Black Swan under her belt, as well as the recent Stoker. Editor David Rosenbloom was nominated for The Insider in 1999.
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| Christian Bale on set |
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