National Anthem

AMERICANA is not a disaster. In fact, it's maybe 3/4ths of a very good movie. This neo-Western crime caper has a lot to say both about America's violent past and its fractious, identity politics poisoned present, but it should have taken the time to develop those ideas more fully.

Don't be fooled by Sydney Sweeney's top billing-she's probably the third or even fourth lead. She's fine enough, though her character is underwritten and stuck with a character trait that probably seemed better on the page than how it plays on screen. Halsey is fierce and along with Zahn Mcclarnon probably gives the movie's best performance.

AMERICANA looks and feels like an early Coen Brothers film or something Tarantino might have tried before Pulp Fiction, but it lacks the style, pace and wit that either of those filmmakers would bring to the material. But you could do worse movie-wise these days and if you go in open minded, you might just come away liking this one.

It's a black comedy-drama Western set in modern times in South Dakota and Wyoming. The story unfolds in multiple parts as we meet all the characters. They include young Cal Starr (Gavin Maddox Bergman), his mother, Mandy (Halsey), and her live-in boyfriend, Dillon MacIntosh (Eric Dane). Mandy comes from a very unusual family. There is the "ghost shirt," which has great spiritual significance for the local Lakota People, that is stolen at the direction of antiques dealer Roy Lee Dean (Simon Rex). Ghost Eye (Zahn McClarnon), head of the local Lakota resistance movement, wants its return. Two people insert themselves into the story after overhearing the plot at the local diner. They are waitress Penny Jo Poplin (Sydney Sweeney), an aspiring country singer, and romantically-deprived Lefty Ledbetter (Paul Walter Hauser).

"Americana" could be mistaken for a Coen Brothers film, with off-center characters who get involved in events far beyond their ability to control. The humor is Coen-like. There is a lot of violence, but this is a Western in which the Lakota acquit themselves well. There's also a feminist angle. Halsey, Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, and Eric Dane all perform well. The pace is good and the story engaging despite the multitude of themes.

The Roger Ebert reviewer didn't like "Americana," but I did.

For a heist movie, this seems to move real slow. Character development are important but film maker seem to not care about run time. If you like Halsey, she makes an appearance early for a short time then disappears until much later then you get a lot of. This film conceptually sound good but it is only (small) part heist. Not even half way through I've already lost interest. I stuck it out and luckily the kid and ghost face aka Henry scene kept me a little invested how the movie progresses. In my opinion the character Henry Alvin made this film tolerable. Halsey did good (I think this is her film debut) acting out her parts. The film is mostly drama and I realized this after much given thought. The end is perfect as it didn't fall into the trappings of a feel good film - the reincarnation nonsense was resoundingly rejected by the true adult in this film. The ending makes perfect sense also because Halsey's character finally realizes true wealth. What would make this film score higher than my six out of ten rating is if they had less of that excruciatingly slow scenes (yes, multiple) with hefty lefty cowboy and Sydney's character.

Sydney Sweeney is a Rising Star indeed as she continues to impress in movies like Reality and TV Series Euphoria. She has wide range of emotioons as she immefrses herself into the character she is playing. Americana is a modern day Wetern drama action kind of movie and the plot revolves around a rare Lakota Ghost Shirt which falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town which intrertwines the lives of several popel involved violently. This sets in motio a chain of events that affects several people seeking fortune and liberty and some are trying to recover it to its proper tribal home. Plot has good flow and cinematography is decent. It has enough to keep you engaged till the end. Overall a good watch on a weekend.

This movie was an unexpected gem. Quirky characters and storylines develop well and intertwine until they all come together in a totally unexpected and dramatic way. When the movie was wrapping up, I didn't want people around me to know I was on the verge of tears. I will be stopping at the store to buy some PBR!