The motels owner, an ex-rodeo star named Sam (Jon Bernthal), is a burly, bearded cowboy with a limp and early-onset Parkinsons. After all, what is a retired rodeo hero if not a cowboy who has hung up his spurs? The killer sets up stall in a motel run by a former rodeo star. Bernadette (Rosemarie DeWitt) loses her husband of 18 years in the melee, and turns to local motel manager Sam (Jon Bernthal) for solace. The series' excellence and futuristic approach didn't end in its casting and storyline. A former rodeo champ befriends a young man with a propensity for violence. viewer on the edge of his/her seat. All that said, the movie is well put together, enough so that if youre not entirely tired of its clichs, it might constitute a tolerable entertainment. The man then tells her she should be celebrating because Mitchell has been killed as she wanted. But this review already risks giving away too much. Killer Joe. neo-noir slow burner that is exquisitely filmed, offering you a fine score underlining appropriately smooth imagery and has a decent cast getting their job done. Smart and well-acted, Sweet Virginia delivers a tense, atmospheric thriller that transcends genre conventions even as it embraces them. In the rearview mirror, we see the Case in Its central performance, by Abbott, is a harrowing, embarrassing adventure in mannerisms. It's a mystery, drama that will haunt you at the end. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. ', Chris Pine Says Star Trek Film Franchise Feels Like Its Cursed, Calls It Frustrating Being Kept Out of the Loop on Star Trek 4, HBO's Leading Man: Casey Bloys on Perfecting 'The Last of Us,' HBO Max Streaming Merger and Axing Shows, A24 Sweeps Film Categories at the 2023 SAG Awards as 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Breaks Record for Most Wins, Jean Smart 'Doing Well, Recovering' Following Heart Procedure, Says Hacks Co-Star Hannah Einbinder, Ke Huy Quan Becomes First Asian Male Film Winner at SAG Awards for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. As the hit man from the opening scene, Abbott comes across as even more of a cipher. There is violence, there is quite a lot of Drama, but I guess some might think there is a lot more to this or rather, there could be a lot more to this. They got a budget reduction while filming or something. Copyright Fandango. It's a simple and contained film, but worth watching if you are a fan of either actor or slow-burn thrillers. 'Sweet Virginia' Sets A Gripping Noir In Remotest Alaska Keith Phipps November 14, 2017 There's not a lot of joy at the Sweet Virginia motel. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Mobilesite. Now shes all kinds of desperate, worse off than before, and willing to jeopardize others safety to save herself including that of a local friend (Rosemarie DeWitt) also left widowed by the shooting with secrets of her own to keep. A former rodeo star, with a small time life, unknowingly starts a rapport with a young man who is responsible for the violence that has suddenly gripped his small town. Starring Jane Seymour. At the motel the manager was having an affair with one of the victims. And some scenes that should've been done in a quick 30 seconds or one minute tops took 2 or 3 minutes long. All people are so sad all the time. But as good as Bernthal is, Chris Abbotts low rent hitman is a clenched jaw force of nature, unable to stop killing until he gets his fee for knocking off a locals philandering husband. so underdeveloped they might as well not be there at all. But Sweet Virginia is a dark batch of backwoods whiskey, as Dagg capably distills what works best in other genre movies (not just the Coens, obviously), recognizing atmosphere and psychology as this elixirs most vital ingredients. Review: Sweet Virginia. "Rock 'N' Roll Hotel" originally was filmed in state-of-the-art 3-D. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here. An early version of this moody, atmospheric neo-noir thriller was located in the Appalachian Mountains; however, when director Jamie M. Dagg came on board, he moved the setting far to the north. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. The cast is good, the settings are correct and even cinematography. 12 of 13 The Watsons Go To Birmingham 2017 Crown Media Filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. The professional hit-man responsible has been hired by a local woman to wipe out her husband but two other men are killed in the process. Directed by Jamie M. Dagg. The former Girls star, whose blooming career is still often seen as a response to his brief time on (and tumultuous exit from) that epochal HBO show, has spent the last few years playing one brooding knuckle-dragger after another, like hes trying to rid himself of whatever cooties Lena Dunham may have left behind. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and The series was set in Wyoming even before Wyoming became a state in 1890. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. One of the dead men was married to Lilas character moments and tense, atmospheric filmmaking. This film has surprised me and even more considering that I had avoided it several times for the simple fact that the trailer did not convince me since it was released, but thank goodness I have seen it to get rid of that doubt once and for all. The score of the film is great creates the perfect atmosphere, the performances of all the actors individually are very good and it's a very good but very short slow burn. but the most comprehensive of maps. This movie joins in with shows like true detective. I can usually stick with crime stories that have a sense of humor. Later that night, Lila receives the threatening voicemail and tries to run away from home, but is attacked by Elwood. Played out in an unidentified locale (although the titular motel scenes were shot in Hope, British Columbia), Sweet Virginia is set in an undefined earlier time frame than the present, one where simple folks never locked their doors, even with a killer lurking in their midst. Guns N' Roses, Stevie Nicks, Janet Jackson and Wizkid are on sale now. Elwood searches the room but finds that Sam has escaped through the bathroom window. Sweet Virginia is a tense small town noir. Christopher Abbott essentially has two modes: Intense, and way more intense. Elwood, Christopher Abbott (whose credits include indie movies and TV work) He walks into the bar and shoots everyone inside. An old-soul sadness has seeped into his bones; he can still clearly remember what it was like to have the cocky power of an athlete. during Sweet Virginia that keep the has been hired by a young woman, Lila (Imogen Poots), to get rid of her 4 / 5 stars 57% 79% . Even with her husband gone, they try to be circumspect about it. Truly a work of art. Elwood asks Sam if he has a girlfriend, and Sam admits he does. Film Credits Sweet Virginia (2017) Rated R for violence, some strong sexuality, language, and drug use. time, she confesses to not having cried and her husbands murder doesnt impede He starts his morning at the motel by reading about the shootings in the paper and then responding to a disturbance in room 128. Directed by Jamie M. Dagg Drama, Thriller R 1h 33m By Jeannette Catsoulis Nov. 16, 2017 A twisty, small-town thriller that blooms in the shadows and shies from the light, "Sweet Virginia". All Rights Reserved. Hold on to that and dont act too crazy. Sweet Virginia can't find itself on the cinematic map, John Ivison: Whether the Liberals winked at Chinas helpful election meddling is the lingering question, Trudeau was regularly briefed on foreign interference in elections, national security adviser says, Michael Higgins: 'A lot of reason to be afraid,' says censured teacher critical of the woke revolution in classrooms, Three arrested after activists deface mammoth at Royal B.C. Watch Sweet Virginia on DIRECTV. 2017 95 min R Independent, Drama, Mystery/Crime, Suspense Feature Film. headlights of a car that appears to be tracking her. It isnt. It's a classic case of a little becoming a lot onscreen on the basis of boasting dark atmosphere, eerie score and superb performances. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. Dont worry, it wont take long. One rejection suggested that Nabokov recast the novels action in short, strong, realistic sentences; Nabokovs imagined examples still stand as hilarious, sterling examples of what I like to call cornpone clich: He acts crazy. And also, speak up!!! New York City, New York Most Hallmark movies have similar plots or storylines. And it takes place in Alaska (though filmed in British Columbia), where we open with a triple homicide in a small town diner. I won't bother reading them. there's not much happening here that you haven't seen before, but this is one of those movies that adheres to the fact that filmmaking has a hard time re-inventing the wheel again and again, and just sticks with its homage to the genre. So we know who the killer is as the film switches to Sam (Jon Bernthal) a retired rodeo rider and motel manager, the place where the killer stays. Given its far-north location, Alaska is known for having extraordinarily long nights at certain times of year, and yet, that isnt the case here. More at Un Jardin a Cythere is inspired by the Greek island of Kythira. Fresh off the 2012 Black List for best unproduced scripts, the screenplay from twin brothers Benjamin China and Paul China offers up a neo-noir with a familiar enough premise in a not-so-familiar setting. It's still quite low and slow and far from out there. He checks into Sams hotel under the name of Elwood, and reveals only fragments of himself to others although the film privileges us by eavesdropping on a private moment in which he calls his ailing mother from the hotel room, offering a valuable insight into the torment that fuels his temper (a dimension overlooked in characters like Chigurh, where the less we know, the scarier they seem). Later that night, on the way home from Bernadette's house, Lila is followed by Elwood but is able to evade him. When Mitchell tells him to leave because the bar is closed, the man threatens him and angrily leaves. Indie crime films tend to be missed by the masses, unlike indie comedy which can garner more interest. It's a simple plot, but sticks in your head after, very thought provoking. Some of the films best moments of dread are conversations much too tense for normal folk, but otherwise perfect for a world in which everyone has a motive and everything is connected. This is particularly easy since they were already having a quiet affair. The problem that eclipses everything else in this film is the horrible lighting - an overdone effect. A bloody good little thriller. "Sweet Virginia" is an uncommonly dark movie. Report this film, Jon Bernthal: I'm not sure about this scriptJon Bernthal's agent: ok but what if I get them to write in a scene with you staring angrily into a mirror covered in bloo -Jon Bernthal: I'LL TAKE IT. gives a creepy performance. Abbott has been garnering a lot of interest since The Sinner and he is the unpredictable bad guy here, he never wastes a single scene. Privacy Policy Set in a remote corner of Alaska, this small-town, blue-collar thriller is surprisingly cast, exceptionally well acted (male leads Jon Bernthal and Christopher Abbott might have easily switched roles, though its far more effective in this arrangement), and executed potently enough to leave a lasting impression, like scar tissue after a serious burn. The camera mainly shows the view through the front windshield In it, we find a rural American thriller that in the first minutes already reveals the reason for the events that will provoke a series of, Jon Bernthal was the main character in this and Im still fairly sure he has less screen time than his costars. film noir, femme fatale, 1940s, thriller or intriguing cops, murder, thriller, detective or crime robbery, criminal, crime, heist or cops violence, action, guns, cops or killing gangster, crime, criminal, violence or ruthless 27 August 2016. railroad crossing, the gates come down and a train impedes her progress. Chris Knight: The central theme of murder and its aftermath is interesting for as far as it goes, but thats not enough to carry the picture home. Bernthal dials things down to play Sam who, despite an impressive physique, has Terms and Policies Email Locations. "I'll have the early bird special." 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