Alright, I just finished watching GW about 20 minutes ago, let it sink in. It was different, that's for sure. I think the title could've used some work, because it can be rather off-putting. Makes me think I'm gonna watch some documentary about America's first president. But that's overlooked once you get in to the film, until it starts drawing the parallels indirectly to George Washington via inserts in the closing minutes.
Anyway, the flick itself: the slow pacing was very interesting. The film didn't drag at all, considering it was only 89 minutes long, but it tooks its sweet time. What's nice is, I did feel like I got to know the characters, and for me, it's gotta be about the characters. If you let me into their heads, let me get to know them and have some reason to care, you've hooked me.
Also, the shades of gray. George's uncle is the only real antagonist here, and me, I hate when antagonists are painted one color. It's annoying, tired, and frustrating. We see this trend happening at the beginning of the movie, but near the end, it smooths out nicely.
It's really hard to nail this movie down as a whole, which is what some may like about it. I appreciate it, but sometimes a more cohesive narrative is better. What really bugged me about it, was, I felt it had a bit of unevenness and uncertainty about where it was actually going to go. And at the end, the film just ended, just as all summers are prone to do. Here we have the story of a group of kids, of course, and what happened one summer. And you may think you know what's going to happen because of the setup, but one of the things I appreciated most about the film, is it surprised me.
"Three good scenes, no bad ones" is how the saying goes, describing great films. And this film filled that bill nicely, though it didn't ever really make my jaw drop like other films I've loved. There are some scenes of note, though, that stuck out for me to make this film so much more than "just another indie flick":
- The scene on the roof between Buddy and Rico Rice before they light sparklers. The innocence Buddy conveyed in talking about his crush on Nasia. It was priceless. "It made me tingle." Any other film, I feel, this dialogue would fall flat and feel cheesy. But it worked here.
- Obvious, but still worth stating, is the scene that really made the film what it is: the bathroom scene. Innocent horseplay leads to tragedy, but you don't expect at all what's going to happen. It's a red herring worthy of Hitchcock. Plus, Buddy's and Vernon's characters do an excellent job acting here.
- Vernon's monologue to Sonya when he revisits the bathroom. What he says here, a parallel to Buddy's soliloquy when he's clad in lizard mask, is also priceless. And I loved the way Sonya and Vernon played off each other. Their relationship was most intriguing of all. Because he's this big, bad guy who's got this huge heart, and she's this teeny tiny girl who doesn't feel a thing. It's perfect juxtaposition, that's so understated you'll miss it if you aren't paying attention.[/list:u]This is not a perfect film, but it's close to it. It's odd, though fitting, how George drifts off into herodom. The last part of the film is surreal and dreamlike, especially seeing Rico and George direct traffic to kill time. George's parading and posturing got a little annoying, but it's also an understandable reaction to what's just happened. He never voices his remorse for guilt for his part in the tragedy, but you can sense it's there.
There are of course, other things of note: the prevalence of the axe, and its role in the third act, and how it enhances the relationship between George and his uncle. The dog, and its role in that relationship, too. There is another parallel here: quite simply, secrets kept among children lead to tragedy. My rating: ***˝/**** (8/10).
