A Single Shot (2013)

You won't be disappointed!

Just what I expected

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

So a bunch of white trash live in a little town and go after a hunter John Moon when he accidentally kills a woman. John sees that she has a huge load of cash in her car which he decides to take since he is desperate to hold on to his wife who has left with and she takes their son with him.The writing here is not good and the dialogue is just off in a few parts with some unnecessary vulgarity. Kelly Reilly plays John's wife and she pulls off a Southern accent well despite being British. She is way too good looking for John's character who is an unshaven bum with bad teeth.I did not like the ending at all. Left me very unfulfilled wanting more. Interesting plot which kept my interest at first but then it fell apart at the end.

BRIEF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Detail and colours are kind of muted, but this was likely the intent of the film makers. It does lend itself to the moody and atmospheric photography. Just DON'T expect a razor-sharp print. The Audio, although spare, is good and effective. Now, to the film... This really isn't exactly my kind of movie, but it is made very well, the photography of the scenery is beautiful and moody, and the acting is very good all around. The mood is relentless and oppressive, but not overly done where they are pounding you over the head with it. But, make no mistake... This is DEFINITELY woven from the threads of Film Noir. Not so much in the look or style (which is why I personally really like the Classic Genre and modern films that copy that style) but in the mood and tone where you REALLY feel the inevitability of it all closing in as the film progresses. If it had been handled with any more of a nasty or violent edge, I would probably not have liked it. But, fortunately the film makers wisely kept that aspect of it in check and only used it sparingly when it most effectively added to the overall theme and tone of the movie.I've always liked Sam Rockwell, and his performance is excellent. He perfectly captures the essence of the type of character he is playing, which is a character that is somewhat out of the norm for him, but he does it well. William H. Macy is kind of underused for the quality of actor that he is, but what he does is very good.The reason why I said at the beginning of this review that this isn't really my kind of film, is because I generally go for more of a stylish approach, where the characters are far more intriguing and there's maybe a bit more cleverness to the story in order to drive this kind of film. But, that is just my personal preference. For example, I REALLY liked Sam Raimi's 'A SIMPLE PLAN' which is somewhat similar to this story, but the tone and the characters are far, FAR more interesting. This film is more of a stripped down, human interest study of the main character. And, thankfully, since almost the full weight of the film falls on Rockwell, he carries it off with just the right tone where he clearly is a flawed character whom you cannot exactly root for enthusiastically, but at the same time, he gives his character JUST the right touch of decency and humanity in his dealings with others and in his sparse dialog, that you come away feeling some sympathy for him. If it wasn't for that ONE vital element, I feel that for me anyway, the film would have been just too cold and lifeless.So, I would say that as long as you don't mind a film that is not terribly stylish in tone or characters, and IF you can appreciate a REALLY simple, pared down story, but one that DOES indeed have a strong, oppressive suspense to it, then you might enjoy this movie to some degree. Of course, if you like Sam Rockwell, that would probably help a lot...This is one of those cases where although I do indeed appreciate the quality of the film and felt that it was done very well and had no serious flaws in it, it is just not really in the style that I would personally prefer. BUT... since it IS a quality film, I feel that although I would probably give it more of a '6' for me personally, for others who perhaps like this particular type of film more so than I do, a rating of '7' would probably be more objectively in line with the quality of the movie.I hope that this helps...

Yup, that would best describe the overall feeling of this movie. It reminded lot of OUt of The Furnace....but this actually has realness and good metaphors going on. It basically comes down to the main character Jon digging a grave for this frozen corpse of a woman who he had been storing in his freezer. He did kill her...yes...by accident...but that isn't the point. The point is, that the woman corpse symbolizes his soon to be ex-wife. He just can't let go....Even after he kills her he can't let it go. Then there's the deer, the deer symbolizes his son? maybe? The horse and the girl....The girl who wants to be with Jon. The girl who gets caught in the crossfire of Jon's ill-gotten cash grab. The girl who's Dad owns the farm that Jon used to own. THere is just so much imagery and metaphors going on that it would take a while to analyze it. Since this was based off a book, the credit has to go to the writer there. The movie itself wasn't about the plot, it was about the atmosphere. They created that atmosphere amazingly well.

This is an exquisitely dark, rural, all-American series noir. Plot line and moral being: a good man goes bad, because that's the way things can be, the way things are. Nature -- human or otherwise, isn't kind. Mistakes happen. And you often pay for them in the wilderness of this world we live in alone and altogether. Chance has its way of crushing you, burying you alive. Watch out. Plus, aside from a potent story line, the acting is downright first rate. Not a single one of the actors are off key. I don't know who did the casting for "A Single Shot", but they deserve an award for it. Also exquisite in this film is the ending -- one of the most original examples of "open ended" I've ever seen in a film. You've got to be in a dark, worried mood to like this film; its darkness is relentless. "A Single Shot" is not for everyone; in no way is it "G" or "GP". But for thoughtful adults it is very well worth the watching.