OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews
Green Room
(R). 95 minutes. Now available on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Balancing a slow-burn intensity with moments of ferocious violence, the new film from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Hold The Dark, Rebel Ridge) supplies the kind of edge-of-your-seat thrills that is missing from so many American thrillers made today. Like Blue Ruin, things begin quietly. A punk rock band called the Ain’t Rights, made up of singer Tiger (Callum Turner), bassist Pat (Anton Yelchin, who was tragically killed in June of this year), guitarist Sam (Alia Shawkat), and drummer Reece (Joe Cole), have just completed a 90 mile road trip to a gig that has fallen through. The guy who organised the show offers them an alternative job; to perform at an Oregon roadhouse where his cousin works at. Seeing that they have no other option, as the gig will cover their travel expenses, the group agree. Just one warning – the place is run and frequented by skinheads. Once the band arrives at the roadhouse, they are greeted by the manager, Gabe (Macon Blair), whose attitude is blunt and to-the-point.
After their set is over, the group return to the green room, but are shocked at what they see before them.
Now witnesses to a crime, all four, plus fellow rocker Amber (Imogen Poots), are locked up in this small space by Gabe, who nervously waits for his right-wing fundamentalist leader Darcy (Patrick Stewart) to arrive on the scene.
Once everyone realises that things aren’t going to end well, the decision is made to take on these ruthless skinheads head-on. Saulnier, an obvious fan of the genre films that littered the cinematic landscape during the 1970s and especially the 80s, cleverly takes an existing template and puts his own distinctive stamp on it.
The comparisons are easy to make. Evil Dead with skinheads. Assault On Precinct 13 with skinheads. As a genre entry, Green Room is first-rate. Instead of bombarding the audience from the opening frame, Saulnier slowly draws us towards the dreaded moment of impact, making sure the audience’s nerves have been worked on sufficiently, before letting loose with a perfectly timed series of vicious set-pieces.
Even when the film becomes graphically violent, this talented film-maker doesn’t merely rely on the grue to achieve shock value, he thankfully continues to sustain the unsettling edge developed earlier in proceedings.
Though not as psychologically complex as his brilliant Blue Ruin, Saulnier still examines his characters and the world they inhabit. The green room the band find themselves trapped in becomes quite symbolic, exposing what kind of people we are, what we’re capable of, and finding meaning in why we do the things we do. It’s a fascinating combination of visceral and cerebral that makes for heady, memorable viewing. Another major plus is that the villains are never presented as unstoppable monsters, rather they are intimidating human beings that share a frightening viewpoint. This, along with its measured, subdued finale, will disappoint those viewers who crave for Michael Bay-style pyrotechnics. Performances are strong, with Stewart thoroughly enjoying his nasty role. There is also another reliably good turn from Imogen Poots (Centurion, 28 Weeks Later). Technical credits are excellent, from Sean Porter’s stylish cinematography to Julia Bloch’s perfect editing, and special mention must also go to Ryan Warren Smith’s seedy production design and Brooke and Will Blair’s authentic-sounding punk score. It is great to see one of many films reference iconic director John Carpenter. On top of the close-quarters premise itself (Precinct 13, as mentioned), there are two specific homages to The Thing that fans will definitely appreciate. Green Room may prove too intense for some, but for those who want to be reminded of what it was like to be gripped by genuine suspense and fear, then this is the must-see movie for you.
RATING – ****½.
Hell or High Water
(M). 102 minutes. Now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
A lean, elegiac mix of classic western morals and post-GFC tragedy, this incredibly smart, boldly committed drama proved to be one of the most refreshingly individualistic films to come out of Hollywood in many a moon. The story follows brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster), the former a law-abiding citizen who is getting over a bitter divorce, while the latter is a wildly unpredictable ex-con who has arrived back at the family farm after the death of their terminally ill mother. The two have taken on the deceased matriarch’s crushing debt, with a foreboding deadline that will soon see the bank take control of their property. What the bank doesn’t realise is that Toby and Tanner are the elusive criminals who are currently robbing their branches in the local areas, using that stolen money to stop the ruthless financial institution from ruining their family heritage. Hot on their heels are Texas rangers Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his native American partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), who are dealing with their own interpretation of partnership and law enforcement. This is a film that does not have a single wasted moment. Every second of this mood-drenched tale is devoted to character and locale, building a world that may appear to reside in the 21st century, but is filled with the kind of history and authoritarian scorn of a time long since gone. British director David Mackenzie (Young Adam / Perfect Sense), in the same way Ted Kotcheff did with Wake In Fright, brings an ingenious, outsider’s point-of-view to a story that is unique to its setting, capturing the specific environment with a flavour that is both rugged and fragile. This would fit in nicely with classic parables helmed by veterans such as Anthony Mann, Robert Aldrich and Walter Hill. When you add a trenchant script by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Yellowstone), and heartfelt performances across the board (Bridges gives yet another Oscar worthy turn), Hell Or High Water is a movie to treasure.
RATING – ****½
Aaron Rouke