Rudderless (2014)
USA, 105 min, Rated 14A (ON) NR (QC)
Reviewed 10/14, © Stephen Bourne, moviequips.ca
www.ofrb.gov.on.ca | www.rcq.gouv.qc.ca


William H. Macy - Director
Casey Twenter, Jeff Robison and William H. Macy - Screenplay
Eric Lin - Cinematography


SYNOPSIS:

"In William H. Macy's moving directorial debut RUDDERLESS, Billy Crudup plays Sam, a former high-profile advertising executive whose life is torn apart by the sudden death of his son (...) When Sam discovers a box filled with his son's demo tapes and lyrics, his own child's musical talent is a revelation for him, a grieving father yearning to reconnect with his son. He begins to explore his son's unknown talent, obsessively learning his songs, until one day he decides to play one of them at a local bar." - rudderlessthemovie.com

REVIEW:

Billy Crudup stars as Sam, an Oklahoma advertising executive still emotionally gutted two years after the loss of his teenage son to university campus gun violence, in Oscar-nominated veteran actor William H. Macy's directorial debut. When Sam discovers recordings of his son's original songs Sam never knew about, they give him enough fragile comfort to rebuild his life, soon performing one of them on open mic night at the local tavern and gaining an eager fan in aspiring musician Quentin (played by Anton Yelchin).

Holy cripes, Rudderless is a phenomenal treat. For a first-time effort, Macy's directing is fearlessly flawless. Crudup gives yet another master class performance in character study here, effortlessly luring a paying audience deeper into this fresh, wonderfully paced story of a father's numbing grief that carries an extremely intelligent series of twists. Anton Yelchin is equally brilliant as an impetuous teen unwittingly inspired by those songs to the point of betting his dreams on them.

Rudderless easily relates to the directionless existence Sam slides into, barely eking a living on society's fringe while living on a boat docked outside of town. Far from his old life. Far from the violence of Central Plains State University stuck to his skin. Rudderless is the name Quentin assigns to the four-man band he not-so slyly builds around the crowd-pleasing songs whose origins Sam mysteriously keeps hidden.

Then there's the music. Although this isn't a musical, even the songs are bright and funny tangible co-stars given ample time for movie goers to enjoy and absorb. All the while, at its core, Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison's screenplay consistently elevates this feature far beyond its clearly limited production budget with smartly unassuming dialogue and clever plot developments that all neatly converge to reveal the film's biggest secret. When that surprise happens, the resulting fallout is simply stunning. In a very good way.

Without a doubt, Rudderless brings an abundance of perfection to the big screen that lovers of independent film relentlessly crave yet probably rarely find. Absolutely seek out and watch this immensely satisfying cinematic gem for its incredible cast and astounding storytelling. Truly awesome. Reviewed 10/14, © Stephen Bourne, moviequips.ca.

Rudderless is rated 14A by the Ontario Film Review Board, citing mild sexual references, coarse language, slurs, crude content, and restrained portrayals of non-graphic violence, and is rated NR by la Régie du Cinéma in Québec.


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showtimes: http://www.google.ca/movies?near=kanata-ottawa&hl=en&view=map&date=0

REFERENCE:

Website: http://www.rudderlessthemovie.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq6XgPSgzmA
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798243/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudderless
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rudderlessthemovie


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