I popped the DVD in for
the movie BLUE RUIN having no idea what to
expect. Sure I'd seen the trailer for the movie on the front of several other
DVDs, but it had never played in theaters locally and with no major star power I
thought it would just be another by the book independent mystery. I was wrong.
I found myself drawn into the story, a story that I'd never seen done on film
before, a tale of revenge that didn't end when it was exacted.
The movie opens with Dwight, a homeless man living from his
car by the beach, combing the nearby area to survive. He sifts through garbage
cans for food, picks up discarded bottles to exchange for cash and picks up
coins dropped along the road. Unshaven and long haired, Dwight could be down on
his luck or just someone who dropped out of the rush of everyday life. We have
no idea what his story is. That all changes and is slowly revealed when a
police officer picks him up, takes him to the station and informs him that
someone is being released from prison. We might hear a name but still have no
clue what is going on.
Dwight returns to his car and drives off from the beach. He
finds a dive where we witness several men enter from a car he's been following.
Dwight goes into the bathroom of the bar and waist with a knife in his hand.
When one of the men enters, Dwight attacks him and fatally stabs him to death.
Leaving he steals the limo the men were riding in as they emerge from the bar
with the hopes of catching him. And still, we're just not sure what's going on.
Next we witness the transformation of Dwight from the
derelict he was to the timid looking man he becomes. This is a return to his
reality. He meets with a woman we discover is his sister and they talk about
the release of the man, the man that Dwight then informs her he has killed.
She's happy he's done so but then they discuss the fact that it has put her and
her daughter in danger. They return to her place and Dwight sends her to stay
elsewhere while he waits. Soon after dark two men show and attempt to kill
Dwight. Instead he kills wounds one and the other escapes. Taking the wounded
man hostage, Dwight sets out to the home of a friend, a friend with access to
guns who will help him.
I could continue but I won't for the simple reason that this
movie needs to be seen rather than talked about from start to finish. You
should have the chance to find out why Dwight acted as he did, why the family
of the man he kills decides to find their own justice rather than call the
police and to see what the final outcome of the movie is. This is a revenge
film, plain and simple, and yet it doesn't feel plain or simple at all. It
seems to have so much going on at all times that you feel compelled to watch
until the credits roll. While it may seem strange to use these words
considering the amount of blood spilled in this film, it was a joy to watch as
the story unfolded.
The extras make the film even more fascinating as we hear
how two childhood friends decided long ago to make this movie. While they
didn't both get into show business, director Jeremy Saulnier did become a
cinematographer. Using his experience and finding funding from as many sources
as possible, he and Macon Blair (who stars as Dwight) stuck to their dream of
getting this film made. Even though so many told them it would never happen
they did it. Not only that, after being turned down by the Sundance Film
Festival they took the film to Cannes where it became a huge hit.
The funniest story found in the extras concerned how they convinced
actress Amy Hargreaves to be in the film. When they began putting together the
film they started their own Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) page for it
featuring still shots of Blair as Dwight. Hargreaves checked the IMDB page on
the movie and thought he looked interesting and that the movie could be a good
part. In essence she was conned into making the picture by looking at stills
from a non-existent movie at that point.
Every once in a while you find a movie that catches you off
guard and presents something new that actually works. BLUE
RUIN was that sort of movie for me. It offered a fresh take on the revenge
movie, had compelling characters and surprised me on several occasions, one of
which made me almost jump from my seat it was so unexpected. While the only big
name in the film is Eve Plumb (yes of THE BRAYD BUNCH fame) in a minor cameo
role, the acting is top notch here. If you're looking for something different
than by all means watch this film. It's one I know I'll pull down from the shelf
now and then to watch another time.
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