Take this bit of diner conversation between Sam, a onetime rodeo champ played by Jon Bernthal, and Elwood (no really), a contract killer played by Christopher Abbott. Pretty predictable. "Rock 'N' Roll Hotel" originally was filmed in state-of-the-art 3-D. It may be predictable, but it sure isn't boring. The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth: Season 8, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to The 5 Most Anticipated Movies of March 2023. community would have done but cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagne captures the Strong yet soft-spoken, The Walking Dead star Benthal plays Sam Rossi, an ex-rodeo champ who now operates a spartan motel on what feels like the brink of the world. Hes a damaged-goods drifter catering to other drifters, running in place from some heartbreak he cant quite forget. Everything is well done in this film. And since most folks reside in giant metropolises, it becomes difficult to pronounce judgement on this evaporating way of life. Lila tells the man she wanted Mitchell dead because he'd been unfaithful. Director: Jamie M. Dagg Writers: Benjamin China, Paul China Starring: Jon Bernthal, Imogen Poots, Christopher Abbott, Rosemarie DeWitt Release Date: Premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. As translated to screen by director Jamie M. Dagg (whose sure hand and smart changes elevate things considerably), Benjamin and Paul Chinas script yields one of the gnarliest and most unsettling movies were likely to get this year. Sam befriends Elwood, and they go to a local diner where Sam talks about his health and why he shakes. Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. So. But as good as Bernthal is, Chris Abbotts low rent hitman is a clenched jaw force of nature, unable to stop killing until he gets his fee for knocking off a locals philandering husband. character moments and tense, atmospheric filmmaking. As All Rights Reserved. When theyre not hanging out, we see Elwood cleaning his gun, exercising, picking fights and having emotionless sex with a prostitute. Full Cast and Crew | Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Technical Specs. It was released on November 17, 2017, by IFC Films. There were 12 other movies released on the same date, including The Star, Wonder and Zack Snyder's Justice League. Its central performance, by Abbott, is a harrowing, embarrassing adventure in mannerisms. 2017 Bernthal is somewhat more relaxed as a one-time tough guy just trying to come into his house justified, but, not to put too fine a point on it, so what. The problem that eclipses everything else in this film is the horrible lighting - an overdone effect. Sign UpYes, I would like to receive Paste's newsletter, 2023 Paste Media Group. In his 1956 essay On A Book Entitled Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov recounts both the imaginative origins of his groundbreaking novel and the difficulty he had finding a publisher for it in the United States. This small gem is worth We want them to survive, of course, but mostly, we want to understand them. Much of the movies potency comes from the way it withholds certain information until just the right moment, and how the combination of several seemingly contradictory brushstrokes can render a character we perceived one way in a completely new light although light is by far the scarcest resource on offer here. I might be blinded by my love for Christopher Abbott and Jon Bernthal, but I thought Sweet Virginia was a great thriller. You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off, Berlinale 2023 Highlights, Part Two: Reality, Manodrome, The Adults, Inside, Golda, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson Feted at SBIFF 2023, Revisiting Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tragically Common: Jamie Dack, Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker on Palm Trees and Power Lines. An early version of this moody, atmospheric Murders-for-hire evidently have a better success rate in real life than in movies, because cinematically speaking, they usually result in quite the mess for all involved (and some who aren't). Please reference Error Code 2121 when contacting customer service. Fresh off the 2012 Black List for best unproduced scripts, the screenplay from twin brothers Benjamin China and Paul China offers up a neo-noir with a familiar enough premise in a not-so-familiar setting. The only saving grace is the short ninety minute running time. Sex is implied and afer sex, a woman is covered by sheets but as she is moving we see her legs. I only new a couple. The series was set in Wyoming even before Wyoming became a state in 1890. Theres something far too squirrely in the siblings wickedly funny, regionally infused sensibility to be replicated, and nearly everyone who tries falls flat. When Mitchell tells him to leave because the bar is closed, the man threatens him and angrily leaves. The motels owner, an ex-rodeo star named Sam (Jon Bernthal), is a burly, bearded cowboy with a limp and early-onset Parkinsons. Read critic reviews. Director Jamie M. Dagg Writers Paul China Benjamin China Stars Jon Bernthal Christopher Abbott Imogen Poots See production, box office & company info Watch on AMC+ with Prime Video Channels More watch options Add to Watchlist 101 User reviews 69 Critic reviews 72 Metascore Elwood says his father died in a prison riot in 1996 and shows a strong disdain for him. A former rodeo champ befriends a young man with a propensity for violence. So we know who the killer is as the film switches to Sam (Jon Bernthal) a retired rodeo rider and motel manager, the place where the killer stays. I can usually stick with crime stories that have a sense of humor. Meanwhile, Elwood hangs around, waiting for Lila He kills them. I will do. It wasnt a happy marriage shes having Sam politely and shyly asks the tenant to quiet down, only to have the door shut in his face. Tom, Lou, and Mitchell are playing poker at Lou's bar. Summaries. The acting is superb and cinematography is profoundly impressive. So, let's answer the question. After a phone call with his mother, Elwood becomes enraged and instigates a fight with two men. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. This movie is stocked with great actors and great plot ideas that just never come together. And it takes place in Alaska (though filmed in British Columbia), where we open with a triple homicide in a small town diner. Coming Soon. I can think of three straight away. A little back-story here: at the time of this conversation, nice guy Sam doesnt yet know that Elwood (no really) is a contract killer. there's not much happening here that you haven't seen before, but this is one of those movies that adheres to the fact that filmmaking has a hard time re-inventing the wheel again and again, and just sticks with its homage to the genre. Blue Ruin. They are all somehow broken inside. Filmed in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. The tension builds up until the very end delivering an ending that could be considered anticlimactic, but I was a big fan. Later that day, Tom's wife, Bernadette, goes on the porch during a gathering for her deceased husband and asks Sam if he can come by to no avail. This movie sure was well worth my time. Literally. The photos,pace,characters,locations. From James White to Katie Says Goodbye, the Greenwich, CT native seems exclusively drawn to characters who could punch a wall at any moment you cant take your eyes off the guy, but its hard to shake the feeling that he picks his roles by imagining what might happen if Marlon Brandos Stanley Kowalski walked off the screen and started wandering through the modern indie landscape. This is a great film and the filmmakers are to be watch carefully as this demonstrates a rising talent to watch. The best music, movies, TV, books, comedy and more. (occasionally cutting to Lilas face). Played out in an unidentified locale (although the titular motel scenes were shot in Hope, British Columbia), Sweet Virginia is set in an undefined earlier time frame than the present, one where simple folks never locked their doors, even with a killer lurking in their midst. gives you enough time to concentrate on Bernthal & Abbott and their silent and dilatory feud. Christopher Abbott 8/10 (Really convincing as a psycho character scary convincing!) He asks about his payment, and Lila tells him she will have it by the end of the week after she meets with Mitchell's lawyer. Abbott's unhinged performance is nicely balanced out by Bernthal's stoicism. The camera moves slow and methodically, often lingering on a frame for a second too long. Please consider upgrading to a Pro accountfor less than a couple bucks a month, youll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages (example), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads! Bernadette, ignoring Sam's earlier wish, wakes Sam in the middle of the night for sex to which he obliges. for violence, some strong sexuality, language, and drug use. and the View full post on Instagram The two are tortured souls who are destined towards reckoning. Sam seems puzzled when Elwood tells him about his mother's death and how his father was absent due to incarceration. The writing is naunced ,with little windows being left for each character ,to ask why? Coming Soon. 22 August 2016 - 17 September 2016. sits trapped, the headlights move closer There are three or four such moments Overlooked gem, one of the best movies of the year. It is beyond annoying. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Elwood, who was injured in the struggle with Bernadette, tries sneaking out the next morning but is stopped by Sam who merely wants to say goodbye. I didn't know the killer ,but he is excellent. Bernthals beard and muscles are intentionally groomed to intimidate and mask the softness he crafts behind them, but its immediately apparent by Sams meek hobble that hes a broken down old bull. Sweet Virginia Trailer #1 (2017): Check out the new TV spot starring Jon Bernthal, Christopher Abbott, and Imogen Poots! 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