The Slaughter Rule (2002)

Simply Perfect

Simply A Masterpiece

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Growing up in Texas and traveling to Texas towns to show horses as a youth, something about the feel of this movie felt very familiar. I thought the interaction of the people was very real. Movies in rural settings that focus on people's relationships have such a pure,albeit lonely feel. The lesson that apart from violence, people's differences won't hurt us or rub off on us and we can be friends and supportive of all different kinds of people. AND the soundtrack is my favorite album in all the world. What a bonus. I had never even heard of many of these musicians before and they are so good. Another movie I saw recently with a similar feel was Hi-lo Country. And this movie even had an appearance by Don Walser, another fabulous, although little known musician.

This movie's tone captures the atmosphere that fuels the main characters' angst and ennui. There are characters that seem purposely written vague as a story devise. Things revealed about them make this devise effective. One teen's survival seems to be the salvation for so many. But the main character is not a Christ figure. Gosling has played this type of character before -- Trapped between doing the right thing and rebelling against himself ("The Believer"). A gripping character study. David Morse continues to demonstrate his versatility. And the cinematography paints the bleak surroundings that inform the consciousness of Gosling's character. Clea Duvall gives good misunderstood-tortured-soul, and the secondary characters were all appropriately shallow and callous. There was no effort to break ground with this film. But the filmmakers did manage to capture ordinary moments, pause over them and offer some insights. No one will mistake this for the Coen brothers, but they, too, started with basic ideas and developed a unique style of film-making that was shaped by their early experiences and the story arc of their own maturation. Small films like this are a luxury for young actors, most of who are pushed to become silver screen icons as a heartthrobs, action muscle or totally irreverent rakes. Gosling -- for one -- is getting an opportunity to hone his skills as a character actor and cane likely find work no matter what the genre. Morese also will not hurt for work and Duvall has shown that she rises above the roles she's asked to play. I think there is more good work to come for all of them. There is should be more good work from these filmmakers as well. How they handle more complex material will be the next thing to watch for.

Having this movie shot in my hometown (Great Falls, Montana), I answered a local casting call for extras. Blink and you'll miss me in the bonfire/party scene. My high school (Great Falls High) was the school used in the beginning of the film, and the locker room the team is in happens to be the girl's locker room. David Morse's character lives above a vacuum place downtown. The hospital in the movie used to actually be the old Colombus hospital, but is now a office building.The twins in the movie (Matt and Paul Pippinich), I went to school with for 7 years, and that old orange truck is theirs. Matt played clarinet in a dixieland jazz band.When I saw this movie at the Wilma theater in Missoula, MT, one of the directors was there to answer questions. He said that they chose Great Falls (pop. approx. 60,000) for shooting "because it was sort of the town that time forgot." In some ways, this is true, but the city is not as run down and rural as it appears in the movie.Overall, I found myself enjoying this movie more for the "hey, I know him!" or "I lived 2 miles from there" situations. While this wasn't a movie that I would want to watch repeatedly, I still highly suggest it for rental. It's more than just a "sports" movie.Also, a stellar soundtrack that makes the movie that much better.

I really enjoyed this film in every way, I am a city boy and this heartland story really was wonderful even for a city kid like myself. The acting is excellent to say the least, it's moving, and gets your blood flowing, it's simply real. First time I've ever seen Ryan Gosling's work and he was fantastic, wow this kid is like 22 years old and what a performance. Everyone is great in this one, David Morse is fantastic as well. David Cale another strong acting job here, Clea DuVall is amazingly graceful and poetic in her role... I wish I could see these actors more and more and in parts as strong as in this film. I can't say more, thanks for a wonderful film.