All Roads to Pearla

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For a while it's hard to understand the scope of the film, but after about 20 minutes I started to find a narrative and stayed with it to the end. I'm not really sure what it's trying to achieve, or if it succeeds. It definitely lacks a coherent ending, even though there were some decent options. It was almost like the director decided enough was enough, and just wrapped it up as quickly as possible.

Good movie recommended! 2: THUMBSUP. Soundtrack music was great too.

Greetings again from the darkness. Rural, small town America forms an appealing backdrop for filmmakers due to the great divide: those who are desperate to "shake the dust off" and head for greener grass, and those who can't imagine any other way of life. In his first feature length film, writer-director-editor-producer Van Ditthavong seizes on the small town atmosphere to create a sense of danger that complements the above-mentioned divide. Alex MacNicoll stars as Brandon, a high school wrestler in non-stop training mode - replete with nose bleeds, early morning runs, and the quest to cut weight. Brandon lives in a trailer with his mother (Morgana Shaw) who has never gotten over the death of Brandon's beloved brother. She's an aggressive griever and takes out her anger on Brandon, leaving him squarely in the "can't wait to get out of this town" mode. Brandon and Ellie (Paige McGarvin), the local grocery checker, are attracted to each other, yet, despite her warning, Brandon falls for the wicked charms of the mysterious bad girl Pearla (Addison Timlin, FALLEN). Naïve Brandon knows nothing of the town's criminal underbelly, but Pearla is connected to the psychotic Oz (Dash Mihok, "Ray Donovan"), who is part of it. Mihok seems to revel in playing the deranged Oz. He expertly balances his scenes as a vicious mask-wearing, gun-toting thug with his small town country-bumpkin mentality ... one who spells bidet, "b-a-d-a-y". Somehow in a town this small, almost no one is who they appear to be. This certainly includes Coach Baker (played by Nick Chinlund, who you'll likely recall from CON AIR), the motivating wrestling coach with a dark side. Also in the 'bad guy' mix are Cowboy Loy (Corin Nemac) who is after revenge on Pearla, and shop owner Mamo (Tina Parker), who seems to control the local crime element, or at least tries to - "Nobody steals from me". Brandon's English class covers a pertinent passage from Orwell's "1984", and his big dream involves saving enough money to drive his truck to El Paso for a job on an oil rig. There is some similarity in tone to the Coen Brothers' classic BLOOD SIMPLE (1984), but of course, Mr. Ditthavong is not yet at that level as a filmmaker. However, for a low budget film that sometimes mixes up day and night, it benefits from nice performances and an atmosphere of dread. The entertainment value is such that I look forward to more projects from the cast and Van Ditthavong.

While watching this movie, I was transported to all of the small desolate towns I've ever driven through. The movie is shot beautifully and captures the eeriness and chilling events that go on in a small dusty town that everyone is trying to leave. The music is beautiful and dark at times and accentuates the intense emotions of the storyline. The color palette for the movie is so carefully thought out that you can almost feel the hot sun in the supermarket parking lot and smell the high school gym. Truly a visual work of art.

The story blends evil, naivety, and love to deliver a dark, but beautiful narrative of characters living in a small town in Texas. The movie definitely warrants multiple viewings as I have found that I am learning new things about the story and characters each time. The film is also beautifully shot. At times it feels like you're floating through a dream only to be reeled back into reality. Highly recommend it!

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All Roads to Pearla