Shotgun Stories (2007)

Very best movie i ever watch

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

What a great feature film debut. Nichols shows a certain restraint and control of everything on screen here in a way that makes you think he's a pro, even if visually the fllm looks rather simple and to-the-point. The ensemble here is really fantastic, led by an always-reliable Michael Shannon. The film could've easily came off as having escalated way too quickly, and maybe even unrealistic, but Nichols manages to handle everything with restraint and, again, a clear hand of how to demonstrate a story like this realistically. This film certainly is contemplative in its nature and not a 'thrilling" film by any means, and nichols needs to be congratulated for not embracing the violence as just some entertainment.

Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols, "Shotgun Stories" tells a tale of Son Hayes (Michael Shannon), who has raised his two younger brothers Boy (Douglas Ligon), and Kid (Barlow Jacobs). Their mother, for her own selfish reason left the boys when their father abandoned the whole family, to start a new life with another women in the same town. Now that the father has passed, Son decides to exchange some hateful words at his funeral, and their father's other sons don't take to kind to it. This starts the family feud of a lifetime. Michael Shannon has to be one of my favorite actors to grace us with his presence in film in this decade. He is one of the most pleasing actors to watch, his subtle way of showing us his pain, and anger rest all in his eye, and jaw movement. It works perfectly. Douglas Ligon and Barlow Jacobs were excellent as the two younger brothers. Ligon's character Boy, lives in his filthy van by choice, and Kid lives in a tent in Son's backyard. When Son's wife leaves him, he lets the two brothers move into his place. Ligon and Jacobs stood their ground next Shannon. Especially Ligon, who has some great heart-felt scenes.This is Jeff Nichols first film, and it could not have been better. Well maybe I could have seen the ending going a little further but that is nothing to really complain about. The writing was superb, and Nichols made the film flow very smoothly. I give Shotgun Stories a 9.5 out 10.P.S.Jeff Nichols next film is called "Take Shelter", and is also stars Michael Shannon. It's about a father who starts having visions of an apocalypse that is about to happen. It looks incredible. Look it up.

Would this be worth watching without Michael Shannon? I don't think it would be! I watched this film after seeing Take Shelter which was a solid 7 maybe even an 8. Don't get me wrong Shotgun Stories kept my interest but only because of Michael Shannon. Normally for these kind of movies to keep me interested they need to have more than one or two great actors/actress. I really wonder if when this came out people were just starting to discover Michael and that's why it has a 7 rating. I was not impressed with some of the main characters performances. I do think Jeff Nichols did a great job on this one.

I'm partial to these slice-of-life Americana films. I enjoyed SS and, if you're not looking for big budget thrills, you should enjoy SS too. The movie is set in rural Arkansas and deals with semi-poor folk who tend not to complicate life with much more than sweat, blood and spit. Like many films of this type, its heavy on slow shots of sunsets, sunrise (emphasizing simple day-to-day existence), has simple, clipped dialog, finger-picked guitar scoring and uncomplicated storyline.Notwithstanding, SS doesn't work as well as others of this type. The background story is just a little too bare. We know the premise is a man who fathered two families (simultaneously?) though the resulting hostilities are largely unexplained; e.g., the mother of the downtrodden clan has a three minute scene where she is trimming a hedge and...well, that's all that happens. Missing is just a hint of motivation, distinction or background to the families and the many individuals sons/brothers. As a result, SS comes across as being a bit too smug, taking too much for granted.I still don't regret watching the film. All involved, writer, director, actors, etc., show much promise. And if you like movies of this type, watch THE REAL GIRLS, LONESOME JIM, TULLY, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME, THE GOOD LIFE or THE CAKE EATERS.