River of Grass (2020)

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

In the Everglades a young couple enter into a life of crime almost by accident.First of all, I must give this film credit for its ambition - it aims to have a sense of style, a kind of steamy, sleazy noirish air. The story, though familiar, is acceptable, the script is OK, and the majority of the technical elements are discharged adequately.Unfortunately, it is denied the breath of life by that bane of the low budget indie movie, bad acting. And some - most - of the acting here is shockingly bad. And the more you watch, the more aware you are of how bad it is, and that in turn impacts on the script. It isn't bad, but the acting makes it sound bad.

Like in Terrence Mallick's brilliant 1973 'Badlands', we have two, desperate, bored and unfulfilled young people here, who aimlessly - and pointlessly - fall into crime and then are then perpetually trying to avoid the repercussions from then on.Charismatically, our two protagonists can't hold a candle to Charlie Sheen and Sissy Spacek of Badlands but as believable, everyday folk, Lisa Bowman and Larry Fessenden, as Cozy (a day-dreaming young woman named after her cop father's favourite jazz drummer) and Lee Ray, an unpredictable and moody son-of-a-gun who you could describe as having a poor attitude to both life and to others, they're fine.Director Kelly Reichart's movie is at times both dreamy and at others more immediate. Though, if you're after blood-splattering action, you might be disappointed as this is more a character piece. Interesting camera angles add to the quite indie, fly-on-the-wall photography and we are introduced to some of the less glamorous and non-touristy parts of Florida. The title refers to the Native American name given to the stretch of swamplands near the Everglades.A smattering of old jazz records provide the only soundtrack.River of Grass says nothing new and covers no new ground but as a contemporary alternative to the Bonnie & Clyde and Natural Born Killers genre, that I and many others find both enthralling and intriguing, then this is a worthwhile, if minor, addition. I saw it on Film 4.

RIVER OF GRASS is a quintessential example of Slacker film making. The script is sharp and well written with a most effective use of 'voice over'. The narrative is portrayed by a rag-bag cast of characters who could have have fit right in on any 1980's Jim Jarmusch film. Kelly Reichardt, the writer/director, has a sure feel for existential dialog and plot. The story involves a handgun which is lost by a detective, and inadvertently winds up in the possession of his aimless '30 something' daughter, Cozy. She and a barroom pickup participate in an absurd and incongruous shooting, and, in a panic, decide to hit the highway. Devoid of direction or purpose, the protagonists stumble and fumble in a car chase movie where they can't seem to get out of PARK. When they finally make it to the interstate, they are turned around by a trooper because they lack a quarter to pay the toll. Instead of a sensational interaction with the cops, they are more or less ignored. The film was shot on seemingly Third World locations near the Florida Everglades, and even the colors seem washed out and weary which adds to the cheerless experience of the movie. RIVER OF GRASS is an incisive bit of Independent film-making which might be described as 'THELMA AND LOUISE for abject losers'. This is truly a gem in the rough.

"River of Grass" was a non-event film with a nice visual style that reminded me of something between "Stranger Than Paradise" and "Wild at Heart". Yes, there's a big window in there, but that's what makes this film interesting. I don't think it was particularly good and it was often boring, but it really showed potential. I felt it had a few things to say philosophically and its dark comedic version of an often overdone genre was fine, but there was something lacking. Since I know a little bit of the history of this one, I would like to give it some credit, because I think what was missing was funding to ensure it to be a tight AND well-crafted film. Instead it's super short, but paced like it's twice as long.