A review by Brooks Rich
Amazon Studios is one of the more interesting film studios working today. I think A24 is the best studio but Amazon are up there. Their catalog is interesting and while not every film works and some can be pretty polarizing, it's clear they are striving to make a name for themselves. Eventually they'll score a Best Picture win and be up there with big studios. I'm hit and miss with their films and usually either adore them or hate them. For example I loved Manchester by the Sea but thought The Goldfinch was pretentious Oscar bait. Today I am discussing what might be Amazon's best film so far, Blow the Man Down.
Sisters Priscilla and Mary Beth are living in a small fishing town in Maine. When they're mother dies, the sisters inherit their mother's fish shop, which has put the family in debt. Facing financial disaster and foreclosure on their home, they face an uncertain future. When Mary Beth has an encounter with a low life named Gorski at a bar, a series of events occur that put the girls in jeopardy.
I've heard this film compared to the works of the Coen brothers. It's not ripping off any of their films but it shares some thematic elements with some of their works, a small town that sees quiet but has a darkness hiding just under the surface, a complex plot that stems from something either simple or even mundane, and a dark sense of humor. While Blow the Man Down doesn't have the elegance of something like Fargo, I see the comparison.
The film rises above it's comparisons to the Coen brothers with the help of a sharp script and a stellar cast. Sophie Lowe and Morgan Saylor are excellent as Priscilla and Mary Beth respectively and we can't help but root for them. The always excellent June Squibb plays a kind doting neighbor who is trying to keep her town clean. The scene stellar though is Margo Martindale, who doesn't get the love and recognition she deserves in my opinion. She's the antagonist and she does an excellent. Martindale can play both sweet kind characters and downright villains but I always prefer the latter. She can make us as the audience feel nervous with her delivery or even just a look she gives the characters. I hope come awards season she picks up some nominations and even some hardware.
If you are a fan of the Coens, you should check out this film. My one minor complaint is a sort of ambiguity in the ending. You can infer what happens but I wanted a little more wrap up. I don't mind an ambiguous ending but I felt it fall a little flat here. But overall this is a solid film and worth checking out.
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Studios is one of the more interesting film studios working today. I think A24 is the best studio but Amazon are up there. Their catalog is interesting and while not every film works and some can be pretty polarizing, it's clear they are striving to make a name for themselves. Eventually they'll score a Best Picture win and be up there with big studios. I'm hit and miss with their films and usually either adore them or hate them. For example I loved Manchester by the Sea but thought The Goldfinch was pretentious Oscar bait. Today I am discussing what might be Amazon's best film so far, Blow the Man Down.
Sisters Priscilla and Mary Beth are living in a small fishing town in Maine. When they're mother dies, the sisters inherit their mother's fish shop, which has put the family in debt. Facing financial disaster and foreclosure on their home, they face an uncertain future. When Mary Beth has an encounter with a low life named Gorski at a bar, a series of events occur that put the girls in jeopardy.
I've heard this film compared to the works of the Coen brothers. It's not ripping off any of their films but it shares some thematic elements with some of their works, a small town that sees quiet but has a darkness hiding just under the surface, a complex plot that stems from something either simple or even mundane, and a dark sense of humor. While Blow the Man Down doesn't have the elegance of something like Fargo, I see the comparison.
The film rises above it's comparisons to the Coen brothers with the help of a sharp script and a stellar cast. Sophie Lowe and Morgan Saylor are excellent as Priscilla and Mary Beth respectively and we can't help but root for them. The always excellent June Squibb plays a kind doting neighbor who is trying to keep her town clean. The scene stellar though is Margo Martindale, who doesn't get the love and recognition she deserves in my opinion. She's the antagonist and she does an excellent. Martindale can play both sweet kind characters and downright villains but I always prefer the latter. She can make us as the audience feel nervous with her delivery or even just a look she gives the characters. I hope come awards season she picks up some nominations and even some hardware.
If you are a fan of the Coens, you should check out this film. My one minor complaint is a sort of ambiguity in the ending. You can infer what happens but I wanted a little more wrap up. I don't mind an ambiguous ending but I felt it fall a little flat here. But overall this is a solid film and worth checking out.
Rating: 4/5
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