 | Watch Cold in July (2014) online Run time: 109 min Rating: 7.2 Genres: Crime | Thriller Stars: Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson |
| Storyline When a protective father meets a murderous ex-con, both need to deviate from the path they are on as they soon find themselves entangled in a downwards spiral of lies and violence while having to confront their own inner psyche. | |
| Plot Keywords: based on novel | |
| Details: | |
| Box Office Opening Weekend: $65,000 (USA) (6 June 2014) Gross: $414,623 (USA) (4 July 2014) | |
A neo-noir directed by Jim Micklee based on a novel by Joe Lansdale, a dark, grim and gritty tale of retaliation and retributions. The ramifications of a murder, lead to the carnage and involved people can go at any length. This is not your usual thriller but a compelling mysterious story which keeps us at the edge of our seats.
ReplyDeleteSet in 1989 Texas, Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) a common family man, one night defensively guns down an intruder. The police quickly identify the corpse as a wanted criminal and bury him. Richard still feels the remorse of killing a human being and goes to the cemetery where the dead man's father Ben Russell (Sam Shepard) threatens to kill Richard's young son. In order to save his family Richard takes police help however consequently he unfolds some secrets, now Richard and Ben will take the assistance of a brash private detective, Jim Bob (Dan Johnson), to crawl to the core of Richard's uncertainty.
The narrative is paced with lots of twists and turns to keep us engaged throughout the run time of 150 minutes. The minute details of 80's Texas are just impeccable. The screenplay will keep you on your toes as the tension builds subsequently. The overwhelming final shot portrays a brutal and stylized violent scene which is fresh and instinctual. However, some of the details are missing here as the some unexplained loose ends which are not tied and there should have been a better female cast.
The performances are brilliant, Hall is stellar as a protective family man and the transformation his character is immaculate. Shepard is remarkable as a distressed father, looking for his son. Johnson is a scene stealer having as much fun as anyone can within such confine.
Cold in July is a captivating experience with tense and unsettling tone. The independent cinema is at its best.
My Vite 7.5/10
While the acting in this movie is very good and Sam Shepard's character evolves, there are major plot lines that just get dropped. It reminds me of Charlie's Angels episodes that don't make sense and we're supposed to not worry about that and just think they are cool. Same here.
ReplyDeleteThe statements I'm about to write could be called "spoilers" but they are not really because they don't matter. The whole middle of movie is about bad cops that tell Michael Hall that he killed Sam Shepard's son even though he really didn't in order to draw Sam Shepard to town so that they can kill him. Do we find out why the cops did that? No. Do the cops get pay back? No. Later, there is a big deal made about the Dixie mafia and what bad asses they are. Do the characters confront or even see the Dixie mafia? No. And the big stated reason why Michael Hall needs to leave his wife and kid to help Sam Shepard is to find out who he really killed. Does he ever find out? No.
There is a main plot that I have not revealed, so there is something to this movie. But all this other stuff really seemed pointless.
Cold In July marks the fourth and most mature feature for director Jim Mickle, bringing electric performances and palpable suspense to an otherwise unoriginal premise. What sets this film apart from other films like it, such as Cape Fear, is the performances. Michael C. Hall gives one hell of a performance, letting the audience see a vastly different side of him. He generates a leading man quality in this film that, in my opinion, he has never done before. From the straight-out-of-the-80s mullet, to the tight Wrangler jeans, Hall fits the mold of an ordinary man from small town Texas in the 80s and does so very subtly without us ever thinking to ourselves that this man was Dexter. As much as I liked Hall's performance in this film, Sam Shepard and Don Johnson steal the film. Without giving too much away, Shepard and Johnson are two of the seediest dirty characters not in a Rob Zombie film. Each scene between Shepard and Hall generates a palpable tension that would be difficult to do with any other actors in their parts, respectfully. The story is interesting from jump street, its a familiar type of story but it has so many great twists and turns that you can't help but fall in love with it. The score here is also immersing. It rings back to Blood Simple, or John Carpenter's Halloween. It really throws us right into 1989 and does so with such grace that it really needs some attention. Jim Mickle proves here that he is a director to be reckoned with. As a fan of his previous films, Stakeland and We Are What We Are, I was excited to see this film. However, walking out of Cold In July made me ecstatic to see what he does next. Overall, Cold In July is brutal, unrelenting backwoods mayhem with great performances and plot twists galore. It definitely lives up to the hype and I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteThis dirty little piece of Texas pulp rides the fine line of art of trash with brilliant composure as its dark script teases you with how far it'll go. The seed is planted when an everyman kills an intruder in his home, and the story spins wildly out of control from there. The story moves forward at a brisk pace and never looks back. Sure that means there are as many holes as there are unanswered questions, but such is the case with pulp. You gotta live in the now, man. In the end, I'm still not sure how to process what I've seen, and I've gained no further insight or knowledge about myself, the world, or humanity. And I wouldn't have it any other way
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