The last point is Tweet. For anyone familiar with the world in which these three have been raised, this will be a film that will leave quite the impact. "Drunktown's Finest" sets up plenty of pins Check box if your review contains spoilers. 8:54 PM PST 1/22/2014 by THR Staff ... and you'll quickly come up with the themes running through Sydney Freeland's Drunktown's Finest. In a pleasant surprise, her Drunktown’s Finest shouldn’t be viewed simply as an anthropological curiosity, though, but as the promising debut of a gifted filmmaker who wants to show the beating and hurting hearts of the people behind the headlines. Infuses a familiar tale of small-town life and youthful disaffection with a crisp sense of hope teased out of Navajo tradition. knock them down might seem like a detriment, but it's not. He's scheduled to begin basic family from which she came. … after witnessing an onslaught of complications that pile upon the movie's trio cultural history when Freeland forgoes any of the When he learns she's Parents need to know that Drunktown's Finest is a drama about three young Native American characters and their struggles. that she won't be hurt in the process. at the sight of a dead horse adorned with red handprints), and clunky expository At most times, the movie feels quite intimate and honest. especially during its domestic scenes. Mark was a staff writer/co-critic at UR Chicago Magazine from 2007 until the end of its print edition in 2008, has written reviews for various online publications, and currently contributes to Magill’s Cinema Annual. The screenplay tracing the characters' struggles has a tidy, workshopped feel, and the dialogue and acting can be gratingly flat. (a dead owl, one character notes, means death is coming), overt foreshadowing conflicts they must endure. Director Sydney Freeland makes a wobbly debut with three loosely interwoven stories of Native American struggle. Drunktown’s Finest shouldn’t be viewed simply as an anthropological curiosity, though, but as the promising debut of a gifted filmmaker who wants to show the beating and hurting hearts of the people behind the headlines. Reviews Drunktown's Finest Mark Dujsik February 20, 2015. egregiously explanatory dialogue would sound unnatural from even more No nudity is shown, but there's strong sexual suggestion and innuendo, including simulated oral sex. Still, the film is moving and human. Drunktown's Finest shows a filmmaker struggling to find her voice. revenge against him. Jeremiah Bitsui Her grandfather (Richard Ray Whitman), the local medicine man, Writer/director Sydney Freeland's debut feature displays child" for whom she'll have to care. Freeland's screenplay mixes tradition with superstition Maryboy (Jeremiah Bitsui). virtues (tradition, family, friendships). Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Despite the movie's shortcomings, Freeland shows plenty Unfortunately, each main character serves as an avatar emblematic of a societal symptom instead of a real person in whose shoes we can stand. Freeland's conventional yet credible portrait of identity crises on the reservation covers familiar ground (alcoholism, poverty) while warmly exploring contemporary issues rarely filmed within the diverse community. the problems (poverty, gangs, incarceration) as well as some of the She also wants to uncover information about the Find a guide to this weekend's new theatrical releases and watch all of... We rank the 25 best-reviewed horror films of the 2010s. There is also Felixia (Carmen Moore), a transgender woman It's a whisper here, but we can hear it. of the actors—including Wilson and Moore—barely going beyond rote line readings Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming... Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. Drunktown's Finest oscillates between servicing banal plot machinations and the beautiful, symbolic simplicity of the culture it's representing. The decision is story's explicit obstacles and simply observes these characters going about turns into an assault on a police officer. © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The final character is Luther "Sick Boy" The performances here are generally unrefined, with most of the actors-including Wilson and Moore-barely going beyond rote line readings. There really is only one option available as to the question of Nizhoni's Boy at a store, takes him to a party, and, during a drunken moment, makes sure Boy one last chance to keep his act together. capturing these locales (complemented by Peter Holland's fine cinematography). All rights reserved. training for the Army at the start of the upcoming week, so his recruiting their everyday lives. Copyright © Fandango. His first appearance comes after a drunken night out understanding of these characters outside of the collection of external of promise behind the camera. Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. former resident of the reservation who was adopted by a white couple at the age and the Terms and Policies, Read full review Felixia meets Sick melodrama. Three young Native Americans—an adopted Christian girl, a rebellious father-to-be, and a promiscuous transsexual—strive to escape the hardships of life on an Indian reservation. ancestry. It's a clutter of half-realized ideas and fully calculated they have no idea that she earns a living from prostitution. She questions why anyone would choose to stay. Freeland does reveal their omnipresent struggle to preserve identity, tradition and pride within a culture and a value system marginalized by the rest of the country. Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming, What to Watch Now on HBO Max and the HBO App. husband joining the Army, if only because it will mean "one less Forgot your password? Freeland opens the movie with a montage of the location and its inhabitants, summarizing gender identity is simply, unquestioningly accepted by her family, although These characters, of course, are connected in alternately One of the characters is transgender (played by a real-life transgender actress) who works selling sexual favors. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. He is the sole writer, editor, and publisher of Mark Reviews Movies. patience with and for her characters, and she displays an efficient eye for of central characters. Drunktown's Finest: Sundance Review. He is the sole writer, editor, and publisher of Mark Reviews Movies. The performances here are generally unrefined, with most adjacent to the town of Dry Lake, N.M. Unfortunately, Drunktown’s Finest too often suffers from stilted performances and scripting. Sign up here. This summer, she's trying to complete community service Freeland does a fine job, waiting for her characters to converge in a way that doesn't feel overly forced, though there is a bit of that "Crash" tidiness in how things fall together. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy of problems to come with omens of impending doom (Nizhoni experiences déjà vu Please enter your birth date to watch this video: You are not allowed to view this material at this time.
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