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| Rated: 5.00/5 | Votes: 1 | Views: 130 |Submitted: 09/25/08 |
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Red is a movie that began its path directed by horror genre familiar Lucky Mckee, but then was finished by director Trygve Allister Diesen. Truly, I guess it began its path as a story from out of the head of author Jack Ketchum, who’s novel it is based upon. I’ve never read the book, but see many people who have stating it is a very close adaptation with only a few tweaks. The story is about a man played by veteran actor Brian Cox and his old dog Red. A trio of troubled teens decided to rob the man and instead of getting away with any cash they get away with the murder of Red the dog. Of course this man, a former soldier, isn’t going to just lie down and forget what happened. He pushes the issue and seeks justice against the boys and their parents. The cast includes: Noel Fisher, Tom Sizemore, Kyle Gallner, Shiloh Fernandez, Kim Dickens, and small parts with Robert Englund and Amanda Plummer.
The latest rash of movies based on Jack Ketchum novels have done a good job of being unsettling. They include The Girl Next Door and The Lost. There is an atmosphere to the tales that makes them rich in emotional horror, if not blood and guts. This is not a horror movie, but more of a dramatic thriller and it too opens with an unsettling vibe. The acting is handled well enough, though I would have to say Tom Sizemore was the weak link. He came across as slimy, as he should have, but I swear he was talking like he just came out of the bar and it seemed to me like he kept directly looking at the camera when it was off to the side; giving little glances like “I’m Tom Sizemore, I’m messing up your movie, and you’re paying me for it.” Noel Fisher as the boy who actually pulls the trigger on the dog did a great job. Ultimately the story telling is uneven and takes a turn towards sappy drama that made me fidget in my seat. There is a long scene in the middle in which Brian Cox tells a horrible story of things that happened in the past, but the entire time he tells the sordid tale we have a close up on his face. In movies it is generally better to show people things and not tell them, so it was right around that time in the movie that I started to get very bored. The sappy of which I speak comes in the form of a news reporter that feels for the lead character. I just wasn’t buying into her character at all and the notion that she might be romantically interested in the old man. Why? Because she felt sorry for him? These Jack Ketchum based movies never give you anything but thoughts and questions without answers generally. It isn’t truly like you are watching a movie to be entertained, but more like you are just watching some people play out some stuff in their lives and then it is over. Even with the rich atmosphere that the picture opened with, it all began to fade and went down hill into dullsville for me. I did enjoy Brian Cox’s character’s refusal to back down or to give up, even with the wounds he suffered at times. This is a brooding rental that you’ll need some popcorn or something for in order to keep yourself busy during the slower parts. Reviewer: Wes Laurie |
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