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dcalmartin
Reviews
The River Thief (2016)
Unanswered Questions, Lasting Impressions
I watched with my wife and teenage sons, one of whom is an ND Wilson fan. I was glad that I didn't let my younger sons watch it as the violence (some murder and graphic references to murder) and language (3-4 curse words)would not have been appropriate for younger children, in my opinion. Overall, we liked the themes of gratitude, forgiveness, and faith. Each character made impressions that were memorable for one reason or another. But they also left us with many questions that, if answered, would have made the story better, and at times, more realistic. In the opening scenes of the movie, Diz's thefts were so brazen and met with very little resistance or consequence, making it somewhat unrealistic to us. I know that Diz is a troubled young man, and we don't get much of a back story until mid-way through the movie about why, but it didn't make sense that he would just go on a spree the way he did without any regard to being caught or to retribution from those he stole from.
The characters were intriguing for many reasons, but they needed more development, which they may have gotten in a book. Selah was a strong young lady with conviction, but we don't really know why she's at her grandfather's, nor what makes her who she is. For example, her reference to Dante when she was in trouble was pointed, but a bit unexpected. The grandfather's actions at different times , though motivated by his faith, still left us somewhat confused because they were so out of the ordinary. Certainly, a follower of Christ might be expected to act out of the ordinary, as Jesus Himself was extraordinary. So grandfather's view of gratitude and possessions, and even his final scene might be completely normal for him. But in the movie's time frame it seemed a little forced. The police officer and Bas Rutten's character were very evil, but in a careless kind of way that was hard to imagine happening in real life. Could a police officer commit the crimes he did in broad daylight without any thought to being caught (or without being actually caught)? And Diz was unpredictable and reckless, yet earnest in his desire to be loved and forgiven.
The ending was not neat and warm/fuzzy as many movies with these themes might be, but that was OK. Life isn't always a fairy tale either. We would have liked to see more development to justify what each character did, though.
So, to summarize: Acting was good overall. Beautiful setting. Strong themes and emotional impressions. Characters were intriguing. Want more answers or backstory to drive the characters. Worth watching, thinking about, and discussing with young adults and adults.