Movies

Powerful drama, seems like a Greek tragedy, about poor rural life in Arkansas with no way out for every character to explore and find their dreams and how this way of life drive them to desperation, loneliness and human loss for two families. Acting in silence from the unknown but very solid in their roles Michael Shannon (Son), Douglas Ligon (Boy) and Barlow Jacobs (Kid) as the three brothers. First Attempt to direct from Jeff Nichols (who also wrote the script and produced the movie) ,with beautiful cinematography, winner of New American Cinema Award in Seattle International Film Festival, this is a chilling, tragic and original story to see.

Jeff Nichols' debut film "Shotgun Stories" marked him out as a major talent, something than has been more than realized in the ten years since it was made. It's a great piece of back-roads Americana, thinly plotted but brilliantly observed and superbly acted by a largely unknown cast, (only a young Michael Shannon is familiar to me), as well as being beautifully photographed by Adam Stone in a style reminiscent of early Malick and the early films of one of its producers, David Gordon Greene.It's set in rural Arkansas and deals with a family feud between two sets of half-brothers. The pace is leisurely and there's little in the way of action despite the promise of the title. When violence does finally erupt it is shocking, if not unexpected, and largely happens off-screen. It remains one of the best American Indies of the last 10 years.

What a great feature film debut. Nichols shows a certain restraint and control of everything on screen here in a way that makes you think he's a pro, even if visually the fllm looks rather simple and to-the-point. The ensemble here is really fantastic, led by an always-reliable Michael Shannon. The film could've easily came off as having escalated way too quickly, and maybe even unrealistic, but Nichols manages to handle everything with restraint and, again, a clear hand of how to demonstrate a story like this realistically. This film certainly is contemplative in its nature and not a 'thrilling" film by any means, and nichols needs to be congratulated for not embracing the violence as just some entertainment.