Recently in Drama pg.13 Category

Directed by Andy Cheung. Starring: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Angie Harmon, James Woods,  Anne Archer, Burt Reynolds. Action & drama. Synopsis: A loyal Secret Service agent and an agressive investigative reporter unearth a cnspiracy in the assasination of the President of the United States that comes from some who were very close to the slain President.

Now, I know what you must be thinking. "With a cast this good, this movie must really be something!" Well, I thought the same thing, and all I can tell you is that I was very disappointed in this movie. Picked it up on DVD and, right away, had a a little attitude about the fact that there are no special features, well no real ones anyway, and that doesn't sit well with me, especially with a newer release.

But, there is no other way to say it other than the story and the film itself just aren't very good, and even a cast that features at least four truly fine actors (Reynolds, Woods, Archer, Gooding) can't save it. The first ten minutes are easily the best, as the film jumps right in with the immediate moments before the assassination and the immediate aftermath. From there, things slow way down and we are treated to a simple plot that is obviously trying to be made to seem complex, after all, the assassination of the President, especially when its by a loner with a gun in the open among thousands of people, just has to be a complex conspiracy, doesn't it?  Well, yes and no.

Look, we movie fans know we have to suspend disbelief to a degree, that is the price you pay for enjoymenmt of fiction. But, c'mon. A tenacious reporter for a fictional Washington area newspaper (Angie Harmon) has unfettered and repeated access to some of the major players involved in the murder of the world's most powerful and protected man? I could buy this a little better if it seemed from the film that anyone else had this same access, or if it seemed that anyone else other than about ten people gave a damn the President was killed.  

There are big clues that are so obvious as to be borderline insulting that this assassination is not what it first appears to be, but we all knew that since it was a movie, right? The dialogue does not help, such as when early in the film the agent closest to the President (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) confronts his boss (James Woods Contact) with the startling news that he thinks that the gunman may not have acted alone. (Shocking, since we see the assassin wearing a tag giving him security clearance in the opening frames.) Woods responds, with sublime acting as always, that this thing "... is bigger than us (Secret Service), FBI, CIA, NSA, etc..." O.k., so now we know its a multi-layered plot, up until then we really thought that any old pyscho could walk up and shoot the President at close range any time in this day and age.

Sarcasm aside, the point is that would could have been a nefarious and interesting plot is never really developed. Instead of an Oliver Stone-like labyrinth of shady characters, two-faced compatriots, and suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat no matter how far fetched the theory is, in End Game, you really don't care, because no one else really seems to care, nor are you really allowed to empathize with any of the characters.

The talents of Archer, Woods, and Reynolds are wasted here, because their characters, without trying to spoil it, are very pivotal to the plot, which is never really developed, but other than who they are- Archer the President's widow and Reynolds a retired General- we never really get to know them or understand their motivation. Again, the problem is you get the feeling that we are supposed to. 

There is no real chemistry between Gooding and Harmon because the script won't allow it. I must say I wondered if Harmon could hold her own in a cast filled with heavyweights, but she does a credible job, moreso because of the limitations of the other characters than anything.

The ending is indicative of the major problem with the movie, Gooding's character has "figured it out", but won't tell Harmon. And then it just ends. Well, if you don't want to tell your partner who you have solved the biggest crime in the country with, survived death with, and mutually saved lives with, that's o.k. But how about telling us, the audience? 

End Game is not a horrible movie, but it is by no stretch a good film. Pick it up if you need to be treated to some tasteful eye candy in the form of Gooding and Harmon, depending on your taste, you won't be disappointed. Otherwise, unless you want to whittle away a couple of hours without being really challenged or entertained, give this one a pass.

Directed by David Fincher. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Edwards, Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Sevigny, Brian Cox, Robert Downey Jr., John Carroll Lynch, Phillip Baker Hall. Drama/Historical/True Crime. Synopsis: The story of the investigation into the Zodiac killer- a serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60's and early 70's and was never positively identified or caught-from the perspective of the lead investigators and newspapermen who were very involved in the case.

Treated myself to this one in the theater for a matinee today and I'm glad I did. Somewhere it was in the back of mind that this had gotten bad reviews, and I can see why it might not be knocking 'em dead at the box office, but this is a quality flick about a subject that will be of a lot of interest to some and maybe not at all to the majority.

The film is based on the still unsolved murders in the S.F. Bay area between 1968 and 1971, which gained notoriety due to the killer's penchant for contacting and taunting the press with his letters and details of his crimes and, also in no small part, from being immortalized in the popular culture. (The antagonist in the 1971 classic Dirty Harry was named Scorpio and clearly based on the Zodiac killings)

This film is made up of ensemble cast, told primarily through the eyes of S.F. Chronicle cartoonist Paul Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal Brokeback Mountain) and lead detectives David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo The Last Castle) and  William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards).

The story starts with the first known murder attributed to the Zodiac in July of 1968 and deals with all the following known killings as well as the long time focus on one potential suspect named Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch), who remained a prime suspect until his death in the 1990's.

Director Fincher does a great job of touching on all points of the case: the nervousness of a whole city during the height of the murders; the deep involvement of the press in the case; the actual feel of the early 70's and, of course, the murders themselves.

There are other real life figures portrayed well, here. Columnist Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr./Chaplin) is depicted as a brilliant reporter with serious addictions who was directly threatened by the Zodiac. Also, the extremely prolific Brian Cox (Running with Scissors) does a turn as high profile lawyer Melvin Belli.)

Chole Sevigny as Graysmith's wife, Clea Duvall, and John Carroll Lynch also add even more weight to a distinguished cast. (Those of you from the 80's might like to look for Ione Skye in an uncredited cameo role as one of the fortunate to escape and/or survive the Zodiac) The best part of the film is the reluctant cooperation over the years between Graysmith and Toschi. The film depicts Graysmith's growing obsession with the case (he later wrote a best selling book on it and became a true crime author).

Negatives? Well, its a long film, clocking in at over 2 hours. I can't say it felt like it dragged, but I think this film is better suited to DVD, especially if its released with special features that include factual information on the case.

I think Zodiac will appeal mostly, if not exclusively, to those with an interest in the case or an interest in true crime and/or serial killers, like moi. 

And, there is nothing wrong with that. 

Directed by Robby Henson. Billy Bob Thornton, Sela Ward, William Devane, Patricia Arquette, Julie Hagerty, Marcus Lyle Brown, Hill Harper, Thomas Hayden Church. Drama. Synopsis:A disillusioned sheriff of a small Louisiana county becomes involved in the invesstigation of the murder of a transgendered woman at the same time that his personal and political life take a downturn.

A wonderful smaller budget film with a great and deep cast that is well directed with an interesting story. Funny how that recipe seems to work more often than not, isn't it? In the film, we are quickly introduced to Sheriff Darl Hardwick (Thornton) the consummate good ole boy who just wants to do some good, get along as well as he can with his high powered attorney ex-wife (Ward) and daughter, and, of course, get re-elected. Maybe not necessarily in that order.

The intrigue starts very early as Darl and his two deputies Jackson (Marcus Lyle Brown) and CB (Ray McKinnon) investigate a seemingly victimless accident as a truck carrying a large quantity of shoes veered off the interstate. Darl, skeptical of the driver's claim that a woman had caused him to crash the truck, instead seems more interested in dispatching the shoes, for free, to some citizens-likely voters-at the accident scene. After Darl has played Santa Claus for a while, he is as surprised as anyone when, lo and behold, there is the corpse of a woman lying unnoticed by the side of the road. 

As if this turn isn't interesting enough, the plot, as they say, thickens even more when two things are determined: 1) the young woman died of a gunshot, not being hit by a truck and 2) the woman appears to be a hermaphrodite, not a common thing in small town Louisiana.

Things quickly go from bad to worse for Darl, as his handling of the free shoe affair quickly displeases the County Judge and power-broker (William Devane Bad News Bears In Breaking Training), and his sloppy handling of what now seems to be a murder investigation is just another sticky subject between he and ex-wife and County D.A. (Sela Ward The Fugitive).

The film progresses in an excellent fashion, with the key turn being the sudden appearance of a young woman from New Orleans (Patricia Arquette) who suddenly turns up in town looking for her friend, a dancer who she hasn't heard from in a while. Darl, ever on the lookout, takes a shine to this young lady, and is bemused when she claims to be the dead woman's "wife". 

Henson does a wonderful job of telling us several stories inside of one big story at one time, so that we follow all layers and one strain of the movie does not detract from another. From the burgeoning romance Darl has Patricia Arquette's character, to his relationship with his father and long estranged brother (Thomas Haden Church), to the deepening intrigue of the murder investigation that, suddenly, no one except Darl wants to investigate, the result of which results in Darl facing a reelection campaign against one of his own deputies and new favorite of the power brokers.

The film cannot be done justice in a short review, which just might spoil it anyway, but the descent of Darl, a character we both like and are critical of, is interesting to watch as it unfolds in the midst of a new romantic possibility and a murder case that stretches up to the highest levels of Louisiana politics.

Thornton is wonderful, as he always is for those of us who just like him, and the other main actors bring the characters to life in a way that everyone can empathize with and, if any of you have ever worked or been around law enforcement, particularly in the Deep South, like moi , you will find yourself saying, "I know/knew a judge/lawyer/politician/deputy just like that!" Also, I'll bet you'll find yourself hating Devane's character, but loving him in the role, which is something only the real good ones can pull off.

Arquette is fabulous as well, she has long been my fave of the talented Arquette family. Two characters who have relatively small roles but make a huge mark on this film are Sister Felecia (Julie Hagerty Airplane) and Gizmo (Hill Harper). They both deserve special mention.

Ultimately, however, its Thornton who has to carry this film and he does, as he always will when cast correctly.

This film is a triple. The only thing that keeps it from being a home run on DVD is the lack of special features which, with a cast and story like this, would have been a ton of fun and interesting to watch. 

Directed by Clark Johnson. Starring Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger, Eva Longoria, Blair Brown, Martin Donavan. Thriller/drama.  Synopsis: A veteran Secret Service agent is accused of being a traitor within the agency as his affair with the First Lady is exposed. HIs chief pursuer is his former best friend and supervisor, whose own friendship was broken up over accusations of an affair.

Michael Douglas keeps on going, just like the Energizer bunny, in yet another dramaction (my term) flick where he is surrounded by a bevy of much younger leading ladies...hey, its good work if you can get and there is a reason so many of us are jealous of Mike.

But, lest you think that there is no substance to this flick, I will say that it pretty much delivers as a decent popcorn movie, keeping you entertained but nothing you will be thinking about or quoting a year after you see it.

Pete Garrision (Douglas Wall Street) is the seasoned veteran of the Secret Service, entrusted with the life of the President of the United States, a heady position indeed and one that Pete, who seems to be a living legend in the Service, is obviously well equipped to handle.

There is just one thing.

Pete is having an affair with the First Lady (Kim Basinger Cellular) and, as unbelievable as it may seem, no one knows...although there is one in the Service (Kiefer Sutherland The Lost Boys) who suspects that Pete is, indeed, having an affair...with his own wife. Needless to say, the relationship between the two previous best buds is somewhat strained. To boot, Pete is also breaking in an ambitious new partner (Eva Longoria) who is a protégé of his boss and former friend.  

And, like I said, its a dramaction film so there is some violence, suspense, and intrigue to go with the age old question of whether or not its possible to make time with the First Lady without getting caught. Early on in the flick one of Pete's buddies gets whacked in front of his own home and, immediately, some in the Service suspect a rat as the deceased agent was working on the sensitive issue of whether or not there is a mole in the Service, maybe helping to facilitate the assassination of the President.

Well, things get awful sticky when suspicions, not to mention fingers and guns, began to point Pete's way when evidence starts to pile up against him and everyone notices how strange and suspicious Pete's been acting lately.

From there we get into the meat of the action portion of the film, with Pete on the lamb from his boys in the Secret Service, able only to trust his girlfriend, the First Lady, and his new gorgeous partner who was initially sent to bring him in. Not to mention that Pete is trying to find out who the real mole in the Service is as well as stop the impending assassination of the President.

As modern dramaction movies go, this one is pretty formulaic, but that doesn't mean its stale or boring because it isn't. Douglas delivers his usual strong performance, being tough, tender, and evoking the right amount of empathy. For a while, the film doesn't tell us if Pete is the mole or not but, c'mon, this is Michael Douglas here, people, not Sean Penn. We know there is no way he's the bad guy.   

Sutherland is good, too, although many of you will probably think he needs to loosen up, just a little bit. O.k., in his defense, he thinks his best friend was making time with his wife and, as one who has known of that situation occurring in real life with people I know, lets just say that it can make the aggrieved spouse a little tense.

Longoria is the surprise here, for me, as I thought she held her own very well and maybe even stole a scene or two, which I did not expect going in. As one who is starting to contemplate middle age (still years away...really) I can only hope that all of the women in my circle look like Kim Basinger does at 50, which isn't to diminish her work in this film, she just really did not have a whole lot to do or much opportunity to stand out.

Like I said, the plot is pretty formulaic and veteran movie buffs will not be surprised with the way it turns out, you know all the time that the mole is one of two or three guys as soon as you realize that it isn't Michael (which you should have known before you rented/bought the flick).

All in all, nothing to write home, or to the Academy, about but a decent film all the same. I enjoyed it.

Directed by Iain Softley. Starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hurt, Joy Bryant. Drama/Thriller/Horror Synopsis: A suspense laden thriller about a young hospice care nurse who goes to work on a plantation in a rural Louisiana town, where she begins to think that the invalid man she is taking care of might be a victim of his eccentric wife.

Now, this is one that just kind of takes your breath away. Awesome story, well directed, beautifully shot, great soundtrack, and outstanding actors. Other than that, nothing much to write home about. The film starts with us being introduced to Caroline (Kate Hudson), an idealistic young hospice nurse who is disillusioned at the uncaring nature of her profession in the big city and answers an ad to become a live-in caregiver at a antebellum plantation home in a rural parrish.

The matron of the home, Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands Gloria) seems reluctant and somewhat cool to Caroline at first, but is persuaded because of Caroline's diligence and the recommendation of family lawyer Luke (Peter Sarsgaard) to give her the job. Caroline accepts, much to the surprise of her roommate and best friend Jill (Joy Bryant) and assumes the major responsibility for the care of Ben Devereaux (John Hurt The Elephant Man), an invalid who cannot speak.

Caroline senses immediately that things are a little out of the ordinary at the Devereaux home, what with their being no mirrors anywhere in the huge place and her increasing realization that Violet is a believer in the back waters superstitions associated with voodoo. And, to top it off, there is a room in the house that Caroline is told not to enter, it cannot even be opened with the skeleton key, which opens all other rooms. Well, Caroline, just like any of us, is curious about that room and the secrets it holds.

As she gets to know Ben, Caroline cannot help but feel that he is trying to communicate with her, and that what he is trying to communicate is a fear...and that fear is of his wife. Caroline initially attributes this to the fact that Ben, as violet obviously does, believes in the superstitions and that is the cause of his inexplicable inability to speak. We see her steep herself in voodoo lore and beliefs, in order to convince Ben that she can "rid" him of the demons that he believes spook him. Of course, she comes to the conclusion along the way that Violet really does mean Ben harm, and resolves to get him away from her. She shares her concerns with Luke, and we have a suspenseful drama that will keep you hooked to the very end and, I promise, surprise you with the outcome.

Now, readers of this blog will know that I never spoil a flick when I talk about it here (unless, of course, I just feel like it)  and I won't do that here. Lets just say that the great majority of folks-say, about 90%-won't figure this one out until it hits us in the face in the last five minutes of the movie. The great thing is, we are not even sure that it is a movie where we have to figure it out until the end. 

Suffice it to say, everyone in this movie, at the end, is not who they appeared to be. And, yes, the movie is consistent so when you go back to watch it again, the director and script played by the rules: no holes, you had the chance to see what was coming, the answer was there the whole time, no paradoxes. In other words, wonderful.  

The film is fast paced, with no wasted scenes or characters. It captures a flavor of New Orleans and Louisiana that any one who has been there will be able to appreciate. What makes this movie stand out, of course, like all movies that stand out, is the script and the acting. There are really only 5 main characters, and even within that, Joy Bryant's Jill is not onscreen very much, although she plays an important part in the story, particularly the ending. The minor characters, especially in the flashback scene to the lynching of the voodoo practicing servant couple that spawned the lengends, are spooky and supberb.

But, with any film that is so character driven, there is even more pressure on the leads and Hudson and Rowlands both deliver big time. We see almost the entire film through the eyes of Hudson's character, so it is vital that we like and empathize with her, and we do. Its apparent that she has prodigious talent. Gena Rowlands is one of those actors who everyone knows is good, and we wonder why we don't see more of her. (I know what some of you are saying: Hollywood doesn't have many good roles for females over 35. You're right, of course, but don't get me started)  She has a performance for the ages in this one, just as good-although a much different type of role-as the role she is most known for in Gloria. She is majestic, spooky, evil, conniving, vulenrable, and definitely attractive in middle age in this role. She puts it all together.

Not to short change the boys, Sarsgaard and Hurt are awesome as well, its just that the two female leads are the ones driving this train. Sarsgaard is starting to have the "Malcolm McDowell" effect on me. That is, whenever I see his name as a character in  a movie, I just know that his character, if not the whole flick, is going to be...different. And usually pretty good. You just know the whole time that there is something that just doesn't quite fit with this nice young lawyer who seems to just have one client...but, as I said earlier, its not what you think it might be. Or, if you're sharper than me (no great accomplishment) maybe it is what you think it is.

John Hurt deserves special mention, certainly no surprise given his body of work. It is amazing that an actor can have the effect and communicate the feelings of the character so well without speaking. I think some of you, after you watch the movie, will be amazed when you realize he has no dialogue. I mean, you will know he doesn't, it just won't feel that way because he does such a good job.

And, as if a good movie wasn't enough, there are awesome special features on the DVD. You will see behind the scenes footage, deleted scenes, plus shorts with Hurt, Hudson, and Rowlands dealing with some aspect of voodoo, legend, history and one personal real life ghost story. Further, there are two very informative segments on voodoo and the plantation life in antebellum Louisiana. I love this kind of stuff and I bet you will, too.

Same goes for the movie.   

Starring: Dennis Hopper, Kelly Brook, Raffaello Degruttola, Susie Amy, Ashley Walters, Morvin Christie, Hipplyte Girardot, Peter Capaldi, Julienne Davis. Suspense/Drama. 

Synopsis: Nine people are abducted and placed in a house by an unknown man who promises 5 million dollars to the one who will leave the house alive.  The nine people face, struggle with, and are ultimately defeated by  their inability to overcome their differences and by the selfish fight for food and survival.

Some people might consider this a poor(er) man's Saw 2, but it does seem from the information that this was in production back in '03, even before the original Saw. Its always interesting to me to see the natural progression or deterioration of the human condition when people are placed in intense and life threatening situations with others that they do not know. I'm not smart enough to psycho analyze it overall, but it seems to me that its is going to be really good or really, really bad. Simplistic, yes, but I think a fair description of what we expect to see, we just don't know which.

In House of 9, we quickly anticipate that it is all going to hell in a handbasket pretty quickly. The start of the movie deals with a couple of the abductions, but it is important in this type of story to really go overboard with your suspension of disbelief, because we have to believe that several adult people are abducted, almost simultaneously, with not one of them having a clue why or really how...yet they all manage to land in this super secure house at the same time. Well, o.k. Once you get by that, it is possible to enhoy the story...to a degree.

Surprisingly, House of 9 deals very little with any real attempt at escape from the house, the nine heroes are told by a mysterious voice that they are effective participants in game, with the winner walking out with a cool 5 million dollars. (One wonders, since the film is set in Britain, why the offer wasn't for pounds, but if its 5 mil, I guess you don't worry about stuff like that). There is no direction or hint from the Voice as to whether or not they are expected to kill one another, or whether they will encounter some pitfalls from the Voice himself. Immediately, we sense that the Voice might just be counting on the inevitable mistrust, envy, and narrow mindedness that comes in any crowd of humans. We soon see that he is right, which might just be why he picked these people in the first place.

Now, you might think that a gRoup of people containing a priest (Dennis Hopper Hoosiers) and a cop (Degruttola) would not lack for for unquestioned leadership, but you would be very wrong. In fact, only one of the gorup seems to pay the priest the type of respect you might think he'd deserve, former dancer Lea (Kelly Brook). The primary reason that anyone follows the cop's lead is that he has a gun. Ahhh, maybe a hint that the deck has been stacked a little. The angry young aspiring rap artist (Ashley Walters) sure thinks so, as well as the ankle bracelet wearing ex-con Shona (Morvin Christie). The former tennis star (Susie Amy)  makes it real clear that she is not going to lift one finger to help do anything and seems most intent on polishing off the liquor that has been graciously provided by the Voice. The May-December couple (Peter Capaldi, Julienne Davis) seem more concerned with their descent from their previous lofty financial status. Well, that's about it for any interesting subplots, to the extent that you find that interesting.

There is a scarce supply of food provided for the nine members at first, so rationing becomes the name of the game, but, once they start dying, the portions substantially increase.  The deaths come in the three of the four major categories: accidental, suicide (or was it?), and old fashioned murder. Frankly, there is not much sense to it, which was the point, in my opinion. When you get right down to it, how much sense does it make to kill another person?

The acting is uneven, Hopper fans, like myself, will be disappointed. First, he needed to decide whether he was an American priest in the U.K. or an American actor playing an Irish priest. Either would have been fine, but the accent shifts back and forth between the two for most of the movie. Second, the priest thing just didn't work.  Most of the  characters really were not given a chance to develop. The most interesting was Morvin Christie's Shona, the only character who was most evidently not one-dimensional.  Capaldi's Max is the most enigmatic and psychopathic, and its always good to have at least one of those. Kelly Brook's Lea is the most empathic, and its a toss up in my book for most irritating character between Walters Al-B and Susie Amy's Claire.

The ending is both predictable and unpredictable. Predictable because you just know there is going to be a twist and the "winner" will probably only get fool's gold, so to speak, but when that comes, it is a fairly fresh take on the lust for money. Its not thoroughly explained, but it is sufficiently shown so as to let us draw our own conclusions, which I like. I won't play spoiler here, but the one who does walk out with the dough is one you wouldn't have initially thought...unless, of course, you've seen enough movies (say more than three) to realize that there is almost always a formula, and in this type of movie the formulaic ending just all but tells you that it will be one of the "meek" characters. 

You might see this in your video store or online as a horror, but it is most certainly not a horror movie, nor does it pretend to be(except maybe on the DVD cover). I don't think there is quite enough depth in the script for it to qualify as a psychological thriller, after all, we would need to know something about these characters other than their names and occupations in order to get into their psyche, wouldn't we? Its a suspense/drama, and an average one at best. But, you could do a lot worse and, if you watch movies on a regular basis, you most definitely have.

Directed by Tom Hooper. Starring Hillary Swank, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jamie Bartlett, Ian Roberts. Drama. Synopsis: A South African native turned New York lawyer returns to her native South Africa to represent the interests of a former poltical agitator turned member of Parliament, who is opposing the amnesty request of the former police officer who beat and tortured him and his friend, before the Truth and Reconciliation committee.

This film takes on one of the more amazing stories of the last twenty years or so, the progress towards reconciliation and the change in government in South Africa. Though it hasn't gotten the attention such a monumental task might deserve, it is almost unbelievable that there has been a-relatively-peaceful change in government and effort to build a multi-cultural society in the former apartheid country.

Considering that very real historic backdrop, that is still playing out, any movie that tackles the awesome topic of victims facing their torturers really has its work cut out to do it justice. I think Red Dust, though flawed in some respects, does a very good job of this.

The story centers around two primary characters, Alex (the shockingly versatile Chiwetel Ejiofor...Amistad, Four Brothers), a former member of the ANC party that was one of the most aggressive in trying ot overthrow the former apartheid government, who is opposing the amnesty application of his former tormentor, Dirk Hendricks (Jamie Bartlett) who must go before the Truth and Reconciliation committee and detail his crimes, including his torture of Alex and his friend, whose body has not been found in the fourteen years since.

Representing Alex is Sarah Barcant (Hillary Swank Insomnia), a native South African who tasted the brunt of the apartheid government as a teenager for the crime of dating a black man, who left her country and is now a notable defense lawyer in New York City. Both Sarah and Alex have their own demons to exorcise.

The film starts off slowly, but builds well in its drama and mini surprising ending. This is, in effect, a court room drama with much of the relevant story told in flashback, a technique that is used very frequently but is not always effective. It worked for me here.

Whenever two characters are as vital to the plot as Alex and Sarah, the chemistry between them is very important. Ejiofor and Swank do a pretty good job here, although with such two talented actors, I expected it to be for the ages. There is no implication of a romance, though that might seem to be the logical story line based on what we learn in the first few minutes of the film. They come to more deeply understand and trust each other, which is necessary to the plot. 

The surprise standout in the acting department is Jamie Bartlett as Dirk, who gives a great multi dimensional performance as the bad guy looking for redemption, and is at turns sadistic, disgusting, empathetic, and admirable. Yeah, I think he pulled it off, i think. Piet Muller (Ian Roberts) is also notable as the unrepentant apartheid hit man.

The movie is filmed on location in South Africa, and many of the actors are obviously South Africans and a good part of the dialogue is in Afrikaans, the language of the region. It is beautifully shot and felt authentic.

Red Dust is a very good story, fiction based on events that are all too real. I didn't see any attempt to ram a political message home, but I'm sure South Africans of different political persuasions might disagree. There is no amazing ending or great action sequences, but a story this good with actors doing this good of a job will, I bet, hold your interest from opening credits to ending credits.