Treed Murray (2001)

Too much of everything

Simply A Masterpiece

Pretty Good

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I bought this movie because I wanted to watch more movies with David Hewlett. I have to say he is really good in this film. He makes his Murray a believable person with faults and good points. At first I couldn't see how he could win against the gang( he is in a tree for most of the film, trapped) but he is a good talker and that is a real advantage and at times he sticks his foot is his mouth big time. The rest of the actors are good and believable. Only thing is that all of the main people are not who you think they are. Funny how we all think we can tell who everybody is just by meeting them. This movie proves this to not be the case. The acting in this low budget film is great and the story line is not new just not over done.

I was really curious to see how the people involved in the making of this film would sustain the idea of a man hiding in a tree while being menaced by a gang. Now that I've watched the film I can see that they not only managed it, they managed it very well :)The plot of this film surprised me quite a few times and it avoided stereotypical behaviour that I would normally expect in films with these types of characters.David Hewlett's performance as Murray is excellent, as are the performances of the other actors - everyone did a really good job.If you get the chance to watch this film then take it, you won't be disappointed.

I bought this movie because of Mr. Hewlett. I find him fascinating. The few people who had seen this movie warned me how "stupid" it was. I disagree. I don't know about other people out there, but this film hit home. I didn't see any villain or hero in this movie. I just saw people, normal people. Neither good or bad, just misdirected. Yes the kids chased him up a tree and kept him there for a night while they argued about what to do. Yes he did admit to getting it on with prostitutes and that he saw no problem with taking illegal narcotics. The scene where Kel gets him to admit how unfaithful he has been is brilliant. That's when he realizes he's just as "bad" as the kids who have him trapped in a tree. I recommend this movie for anyone who wants to see a movie about seeing who you really are thru the eyes of someone else.

Taking a page from old-fashioned, one-off thrillers from the Sixties and Seventies like LADY IN A CAGE or THE INCIDENT, writer/director William Phillips uses a deceptively simple plot to produce a psychological thriller/character study that at the very least is engaging. Thank goodness the producers made sure that it got a title change before reaching American screens. As it is, the new title "GET DOWN" may trick some people into thinking this is some kind of disco period piece like CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC. For anyone who may have given this film the brush-off for that reason, let me assure you: this one is WAY better.The premise is straight to the point: a harried businessman, John Murray (David Hewlett from the excellent CUBE, another controversial indie flick), is on his way to work downtown, and probably late. Not wanting to be bothered by the homeless people and the panhandlers, he decides to take a short cut through the city park. Bad luck for him. On the way, he is stopped by a young thug whom he asks for directions. The teen demands money for his help, and when Murray refuses, the kid blocks his way and demands his wallet. P*ssed off by this, Murray pops the kid in the face with his briefcase, which results in the sudden appearance of the rest of the "gang" the young thug belongs to. WORSE luck for him.A chase ensues, and a desperate Murray resorts to the only thing he thinks will prevent him from a severe beating: he climbs a very tall tree. Hence the title. Now a war of words, wills and wild attempts to get at him begins, revealing things about Murray and the young punks who are after him, that let the audience in on one important truth...none of us is better than anyone else, even when we'd like to believe we are. Because as it turns out, we are more alike than we want to admit, or may even realize.For a small, short film with no big names to speak of, there are strong performances all round, with Hewlett leading the cast. Murray is not a likeable character, even when we know that he's in the right about defending himself, yet Hewlett still manages to make him seem human and flawed, rather than outright hateful, which would've been a major hardship for the film to overcome.All the young performers are fairly good, with Cle Bennett a remarkable standout as the "gang's" leader, Shark. He has a lot of the same vibe and style as ANGEL'S J. August Richards, and I suspect it won't be too long before we end up seeing him getting a lot more work.Though the socio-political and economic issues addressed here have reviewed before, and in much better fashion in other movies, at least Phillips guides his cast in a way that makes it all seem fresh and original. That said, the director couldn't miss throwing in a least one homage, namely to John Carpenter. It involves a very unexpectedly creepy scene, in which Murray witnesses first hand, the one thing that makes his aggressors actually run for the hills, (or in this case, the bushes.) It is a very goosebump-raising scene that carries with it echoes of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK or ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, and you've gotta love somebody with enough smarts and savvy to give 'props' to those two classics.I'll give this four out of five stars. A bigger name cast and a more seasoned director would have raised GET DOWN'S cinematic pedigree, but as is, it won't leave you bored, and not too disappointed, (unless, like me, you don't get into the anti-climactic finish.)