Blow the Man Down

Small town crime neo-noir strikes again, this time in a way that feels fresher. A lot of people are praising "Blow the Man Down" for invoking a "Fargo" feel which I agree it does, the spirit is there, in the form of the story and what's happening to characters, ordinary and mysterious alike. Led by a strong mostly female cast, "Blow the Man Down" is an engaging ride into the neat world of a small coastal town and the unravelment of its shadier side.

Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth (Morgan Saylor) Connolys are dealing with the death and funeral of their mother and the next couple days will be a storm distress not only for them but for the whole town. A murder happens, and the rest is up to You to see. Did I mention that the town is run by a bunch of old women? There's enough fun to be had with the secrets and antics of this small port town, script provides until the very end. Directors and writers Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy are walking a fine line of using familiar genre tropes and tweaking them just enough to allow some necessary freshness while never doing an overkill at it. The structure's not flawless and pacing suffers at moments, but not at a big cost. The two young leads, together with a veteran supporting cast does a great job in the acting department, with the highlight performances being brought on by Sophie Lowe and Margo Martindale in the more villainous role. If the story and characters aren't enough yet, there's also decent cinematography - the indie, low-budget kind, but one that colors the chilly atmosphere, which is further filled with mood setting creative solutions in the music department.

I say blow him down, I'm excited to see what these filmmakers bring on next, and always down for just about anything that fits the bill of a small town crime / neo-noir / americana / rural shenanigans themes in the crime genre. "Blow the Man Down" should please the like-minded. My rating: 7/10.

Now of course reading my summary line you may draw the conclusion that this is not a big deal. But you may be quite wrong about that. On the other hand, the pacing of the movie might also make you draw certain conclusion ... or make you dislike it.

Would be a shame, because this is more than decent overall. The main characters are very well painted (no pun intended) and have their work cut out for them. Depending on your morals you will judge them and their actions differently of course.

Not the best of the bunch for me, but certainly above average ... if you can dig its vibe and its pace.

While sometimes it felt that a bit too much was crammed into this film, it is always engaging and held my interest. Caught it at Tribecca. Mixed emotions hit me throughout as I enjoyed some very unique components including the music and the beautiful settings, but sometimes a campiness had me feeling like I was watching Desperate Housewives. The two young actresses playing the sisters we're very strong, and held their ground with a group of very seasoned actresses. A lot to like here.

Everyone in Easter Cove, Maine has dark secrets, and they all unravel in a day or two - maybe for the better, maybe not. While the film captures the look and feel of a worn-out fishing village (I found the cinematography spot-on for the environment), the plot seemed a bit thin and contrived. As desperate as all the main characters were for change in their bleak lives, I had a hard time believing that they would have done the things they did, past and present. As the two sisters, Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe held their own with an ensemble cast of veteran character actors including June Squibb and Margo Martindale. A distracting enough way to pass an hour or so of social distancing.

...and everyone fit their role and played their part perfectly, especially the sisters and June Squibb, who is always a joy to watch.

The directing was good, but the writing/screenplay could've been better, and had plot and technical issues. The pacing was a little slow and the 90 min runtime felt like 2 hours. The singing fishermen and obnoxious score were very annoying imo. However, the cinematography and sets were great. I know the critics liked this film, and its Fargo theme, but it's not my cup of storytelling tea. It's 6/10 all going to the cast.