Excessively moody and mired in muddy storytelling overall, writer-director Eric Drilling's feature debut is based on his play of the same name about two brothers caught in the stormy aftermath of patricide, committed by the eldest against their violent sire.
"River Red" stars Tom Everett Scott ("An American Werewolf in Paris") as insecure, repressed Dave Holden, a New Hampshire guy going nowhere who becomes a killer and masked bandit to protect his younger Brother Tom (David Moscow). But starting with the shaky performances, Drilling's downer drama is not memorably involving, and boxoffice potential for the Castle Hill limited release is light.
Scott is appropriately sweaty and nervous, with an unruly crop of hair and twitchy body -- he might have made a good Norman Bates. His character is able to instantly concoct a plan to have minor Tom serve the time for Dave's impulsive fatal stabbing of their punching pop (Denis O'Hare).
But after that fateful event, given a "second chance," Dave is apparently rendered dumb by his guilt and paranoia. While Tom has a bumpy ride in the pokey, Dave hits the sauce and holds up gas stations to pay off a stack of bills left by Dad. He has enough cash to also date a nice girl (Cara Buono), who doesn't suspect he's turning into his own worse nightmare.
Tom gets the picture soon enough when he's released (after years?) and sees what a cold, self-destructive thing Dave has become. Meanwhile, it's hard to believe Dave could get away with his cover story of a rich relative leaving a large inheritance.
While it strives to be a probing character study, "River Red" is all but swamped by Drilling's fudging on details, while the filmmaker relies far too much on Johnny Hickman's oppressive score to underline every portentous moment and simmering emotion.
RIVER RED
Castle Hill
Drilling Films in association with
Miller Entertainment and Frontier Films
Writer-director: Eric Drilling
Producers: Eric Drilling, Stephen Schlueter, Avram Ludwig, Tom Everett Scott, Tischa Gomez
Executive producers: David Miller, Gary Kauffman
Director of photography: Stephen Schlueter
Production designer: Roshelle Berliner
Editor: Paul Streicher
Costume designer: Cindy Evans
Music: Johnny Hickman
Casting: Gabriella Leff
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dave Holden: Tom Everett Scott
Tom Holden: David Moscow
Rachel: Cara Buono
Father: Denis O'Hare
Billy: David Lowery
Frankie: Michael Kelly
Judge Perkins: Leo Burmester
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
"River Red" stars Tom Everett Scott ("An American Werewolf in Paris") as insecure, repressed Dave Holden, a New Hampshire guy going nowhere who becomes a killer and masked bandit to protect his younger Brother Tom (David Moscow). But starting with the shaky performances, Drilling's downer drama is not memorably involving, and boxoffice potential for the Castle Hill limited release is light.
Scott is appropriately sweaty and nervous, with an unruly crop of hair and twitchy body -- he might have made a good Norman Bates. His character is able to instantly concoct a plan to have minor Tom serve the time for Dave's impulsive fatal stabbing of their punching pop (Denis O'Hare).
But after that fateful event, given a "second chance," Dave is apparently rendered dumb by his guilt and paranoia. While Tom has a bumpy ride in the pokey, Dave hits the sauce and holds up gas stations to pay off a stack of bills left by Dad. He has enough cash to also date a nice girl (Cara Buono), who doesn't suspect he's turning into his own worse nightmare.
Tom gets the picture soon enough when he's released (after years?) and sees what a cold, self-destructive thing Dave has become. Meanwhile, it's hard to believe Dave could get away with his cover story of a rich relative leaving a large inheritance.
While it strives to be a probing character study, "River Red" is all but swamped by Drilling's fudging on details, while the filmmaker relies far too much on Johnny Hickman's oppressive score to underline every portentous moment and simmering emotion.
RIVER RED
Castle Hill
Drilling Films in association with
Miller Entertainment and Frontier Films
Writer-director: Eric Drilling
Producers: Eric Drilling, Stephen Schlueter, Avram Ludwig, Tom Everett Scott, Tischa Gomez
Executive producers: David Miller, Gary Kauffman
Director of photography: Stephen Schlueter
Production designer: Roshelle Berliner
Editor: Paul Streicher
Costume designer: Cindy Evans
Music: Johnny Hickman
Casting: Gabriella Leff
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dave Holden: Tom Everett Scott
Tom Holden: David Moscow
Rachel: Cara Buono
Father: Denis O'Hare
Billy: David Lowery
Frankie: Michael Kelly
Judge Perkins: Leo Burmester
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/23/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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