Red White & Blue (2010)

Great Film overall

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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.

RED WHITE & BLUE is dark, deep and disturbing. It's difficult to tell much about the story without giving it away since there's lots of twist in this tale of revenge and desire. The plot focuses on how the hypersexual Erica befriends her neighbor, an ex military veteran. Her new relationship gives her hope and security, but her promiscuous past haunts her...The movie is beautifully executed in terms of cinematography and editing. The soundscape is thick and atmospheric, including some chilling and at times deeply moving music. Add to this some great performances and believable characters. This is the epitome of a feel bad movie where people are doing bad things to each other, but they aren't just plain evil so that you can excuse yourself in hating them. Instead, every character lives a messed up life and the atrocities are well motivated... which makes you feel extra depressed.So if that's the emotion you seek in movies, and if you can stand a good deal of violence, then RED WHITE & BLUE is for you.

"A movie that starts slow but totally make's up for it in the last stanza! Wow!" This movie was, at the start, lagging and the story was everywhere, but after the first 50 minutes it all starts to come together. The film kind of changes tact and there are some quite horrific morbid scenes. It's all about revenge but at the same time it has a unnerving feel to it. I have to say it kind of shocked me a bit as you weren't ready for how and where the film was heading. That is part of the reason why I liked this movie more than I thought I would. But if you are thinking of watching this film, be warned that it's violent in parts and it can be sickening for some. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Incredibly dark indie deals with Erica, an emotionally empty young woman who has unprotected sex with anyone she can, including a four-way with a garage band and it's lead player, Franki. Enter Nate, an oddball stranger who helps her find work when she's about to be kicked out of her apartment. The two form an unlikely bond. Meanwhile, Franki is caring for his cancer-stricken mother. After he gives some blood to help her, he's soon informed that he has HIV. Horrified not only for himself but for what he's given his mother, he and his bandmates set out to find Erica. Bad choices are made and revenge is brutally dished out.Simon Rumley's film is one of the bleakest I've seen in a while. Austin is the backdrop as we watch damaged characters making choices that lead to their undoing. It's hard to say who's to root for here, and a revelation regarding Erica midway through adds a whole new layer to the proceedings. I respected that Rumley left in numerous ambiguities throughout, as it made for a more intriguing structure.The acting is strong across the board with Noah Taylor, Amanda Fuller and Marc Senter all vying for the title of most disturbed. Senter, who played memorable nutjobs in "The Lost" and "Cabin Fever 2", actually gets outdone this time around. There's also a memorable scene of a family being held hostage.

This film reminded me mostly of Audition and how the mood changes from drama to sinister to disturbing.The film follows the sexual goings-on of a young girl named Erica, who we believe to be troubled in some way or another. She has a friend, Nate, in whom she can confide and who appears to be genuinely concerned for her. A side-plot, about a semi-successful garage-band, runs in parallel from the point they all get in the sack with Erica, on a drunken band team-building exercise. These two plot lines come slamming back together in a big way, just after the middle of the movie.Once this film gets going, it really grabs hold of you and doesn't let go, until after the gut-wrenching climax. The build-up is slow paced but justifiably so, as it needs to bring true depth to the characters, otherwise the latter half of the story wouldn't work. Unlike movies where the good and bad guys are clear cut, this one really blurs the edges, so that we're never quite sure who's in the right and who's not. I'm saying this is a good thing for this movie, because it really makes the viewer question the morality in each scene and find it harder to predict where the movie us is ultimately heading.There's little I would criticise. What it does, it does very well - all credit to the director and cast.I wouldn't categorise this as a horror (unless we count Franki's earrings), it's more of an intense drama/thriller but Red White and Blue is one of the best films I have seen this year and would recommend it to anyone who has the stomach for this sort of thing.