Run the Tide

Although his fans would not be pleased if Taylor Lautner didn't have one or two topless scenes, the man does a bit of acting in Run The Tide. In this Lautner is the older of two brothers the other being Nicol Christou who run away from their midwest home to head for the Pacific coast where Taylor knows a girl starting college.

The reason for booking to the Pacific Ocean is that their drug abusing mother, (they had different dads) is about to be released from prison. Taylor has bitter memories of her abusing him as a kid. He wants to not see that happen to his younger brother. The younger one however is too young to remember anything bad. He just wants the mom he never had.

Am not sure why Christou's father just didn't divorce her. According to the story God knows she gave him enough grounds. I also doubt custody would be an issue. Maybe courts are biased toward Moms but usually a prison sentence will overcome that.

Lautner has some good scenes here, but the story is too much to overcome.

In Run The Tide, Taylor Lautner gives a beautifully measured performance as Rey, the protective older brother to Oliver (played by Nico Christou) who Rey has raised since Lola, their drug abusing mother was imprisoned. Played by Constance Zimmer, it is Lola's release from prison that triggers Rey to kidnap his younger brother and head for the coast in search of his dreams.

Written by Rajiv Shah, Run The Tide takes you on an emotional journey that explores themes around family, lost opportunities and forgiveness. All played out through a set of characters who feel real and complex. There might be times in the movie when you might question some of the decisions made by Rey and co., but for the most part you'll believe in their journey. It's quite a slender, delicate story that Rajiv Shah weaves in this film, but I think it is to his credit that he resists the temptation to try and fill the story out with other elements that may distract.

It's a story that is sensitively handled by the director Soham Mehta who creates a film that asks to be judged on its own merits, allowing the story to play out without rushing the audience. There's a definite visual style to the film with a proliferation of blues and with the assistance of cinematographer John T. Conner, some nice visual flourishes. Excellent song selections (an art form itself) further add to the personal feeling of the film.

However, this film wouldn't work without the delicate interplay between the characters that each actor brings to the film, made possible by an excellent cast that is rounded out by Kenny Johnson (Bates Motel) and Johanna Braddy (Quantico). At its heart though, is the relationship between the two brothers that runs right through this film. It is this (sometimes difficult) bond between Rey and Oliver that the audience needs to believe in for this film to succeed in hitting the right notes emotionally. On this point, Taylor and Nico can't be faulted, with the latter gaining extra kudos with this being his first film role.

Taylor Lautner has had more than his fair share of critics when it comes to his acting over the years. But in Run The Tide, he gives his best dramatic performance to date and one that will far exceed the expectations of many of his past critics. What Taylor needs now is a few more roles like this, that allow him to truly showcase his acting ability and turn the tide of criticism that he has unfairly faced in the past.

All in all, it is satisfying to watch a film that tells a story based in the real world for a change, one whose ending leaves you wanting to know more about each and every character.

This indie often seemed contrived and contained some very implausible plot elements at times. However, the acting is solid and I was interested enough to want to see how it would all turn out in the end.

Taylor Lautner stars here as Rey, who for the past several years has raised his much younger brother Oliver (Nico Christou), with the help of his stepfather Bo (Kenny Johnson). Their mother Lola, portrayed by Constance Zimmer, has been serving a six year prison sentence for drugs and prostitution.

Rey learns that his mother, who abused him terribly over the years, is set for release and wants Oliver to come live with her and Bo. Thus, Rey will take Oliver and head for California, acting on the invitation of an old flame (Johanna Braddy) to start a new life there. However, things will not go according to plan and decisions will have to be made for all concerned.

Soham Mehta and Rajiv Shah make their directorial and writing debuts here respectively. Overall, although I couldn't really buy into the main premise here, I still found the film interesting and fairly absorbing, and I certainly have seen worse over the years.

Based on the trailer, I was expecting this to be a romance movie, but this is so much more than that.

Run The Tide is a touching movie about family, brotherhood and sacrifice, a road trip movie beautifully shot with a few twists and turns along the way.

The performance by Taylor Lautner is solid, in a "serious" role that really puts him into a new light and will hopefully expand his fan base.

Overall, this is a terrific first picture for Soham Mehta and Rajiv Shah and a sign of great things to come.

Hopefully by now you know the plot so I won't go into any details.

I'll just say if you read the overview you have obtained everything this film has to offer.

It starts slow, building to ... nothing. It keeps teasing you with the possibility of something dramatic suddenly happening, as is the way in most entertaining movies, but - nope - nothing, nada, zilch, zip.

I gave it a 5 solely because of the acting, which was fairly good but not great. It is enough to keep you engaged but if you are expecting ANYTHING to happen you will be sadly disappointed.

To summarize: If anything interesting had happened it might have been worth watching! ;)