I find the movie reviews the most helpful when they focus on whether or not the movie delivers on its promise. American pie is obviously not in the same class as the Godfather using any metric you want. However, both movies deliver on what they promise and in my mind would bother garner an A rating. The Godfather promises to be a crime epic. It has a great story, superb acting and is one of the best crime movies ever made.
American Pie marketed itself as a raunchy, teen comedy that would make you laugh. And it delivered. Does Ain't Them Bodies Saints deliver on being an indie crime drama? Well, my answer is yes and no.
When you decide to spend your time watching an indie movie in this genre you are expecting raw acting, a tight script and realistic violence to make up for the lack of big budget action. These movies like showing the aftermath of a big battle as opposed to the big fireworks and explosions of the big battle. They promise to focus more on the plot and character and cinematography and less on trappings of large spectacles. This movie does have strong acting. Rooney and Ben do a great job respectively.
Casey seems a little aloof, but that may have been because his character was a little reserved and understated. None of the supporting cast made much of an impact on me, but none were bad enough to distract me either. The action was not as much as I would have liked, but for an indie drama I thought it was enough. There was nothing the movie did very poorly, but unfortunately there was nothing it did amazing either. It promised to be a story about two lovers who decided to commit a crime and the aftermath of their actions. There are no crazy twists, no gratuitous violence and no silly plot holes. But there were also no memorable scenes, intense action sequences or ingenious plot set ups.
When I was younger I would get frustrated watching movies like this. Where the movie seems to just tell a story without a huge reveal or unexpected turn. Without a creative set up or elaborate trick. As I have gotten older, I have learned to become more appreciate of great acting and dialogue. Just because the story is simple and straightforward, does not mean it is not worth watching. However, if a crime is going to be part of the plot and trailer, there should be some more violence or just a slight twist or violent ending.
Did you enjoy No Country for Old Men or Into the Furnace? Both movie had a crime element and just told a story, albeit with great acting performances. But there were no twists and the action sequences were understated. Ain't Them Bodies Saints would classify as these films' younger brother. I would recommend if you were in the mood for a solid, well acted but ultimately forgettable indie drama.
American Pie marketed itself as a raunchy, teen comedy that would make you laugh. And it delivered. Does Ain't Them Bodies Saints deliver on being an indie crime drama? Well, my answer is yes and no.
When you decide to spend your time watching an indie movie in this genre you are expecting raw acting, a tight script and realistic violence to make up for the lack of big budget action. These movies like showing the aftermath of a big battle as opposed to the big fireworks and explosions of the big battle. They promise to focus more on the plot and character and cinematography and less on trappings of large spectacles. This movie does have strong acting. Rooney and Ben do a great job respectively.
Casey seems a little aloof, but that may have been because his character was a little reserved and understated. None of the supporting cast made much of an impact on me, but none were bad enough to distract me either. The action was not as much as I would have liked, but for an indie drama I thought it was enough. There was nothing the movie did very poorly, but unfortunately there was nothing it did amazing either. It promised to be a story about two lovers who decided to commit a crime and the aftermath of their actions. There are no crazy twists, no gratuitous violence and no silly plot holes. But there were also no memorable scenes, intense action sequences or ingenious plot set ups.
When I was younger I would get frustrated watching movies like this. Where the movie seems to just tell a story without a huge reveal or unexpected turn. Without a creative set up or elaborate trick. As I have gotten older, I have learned to become more appreciate of great acting and dialogue. Just because the story is simple and straightforward, does not mean it is not worth watching. However, if a crime is going to be part of the plot and trailer, there should be some more violence or just a slight twist or violent ending.
Did you enjoy No Country for Old Men or Into the Furnace? Both movie had a crime element and just told a story, albeit with great acting performances. But there were no twists and the action sequences were understated. Ain't Them Bodies Saints would classify as these films' younger brother. I would recommend if you were in the mood for a solid, well acted but ultimately forgettable indie drama.