No Beast So Fierce

I've been following the work of the director Tim Mccann for quite a while. He won at Toronto with his first ever film called Desolation Angels and was considered one of the best directors to come from NY that year. He never however got into the big time and continued to make these hard core indie movies (see All Mistakes Buried, which is a real gem). With No Beast so Fierce he's made another one that is well worth watching. A story about an ex-con who just left prison to look for his son, the characters, the dialogue, the acting, the locations: everything is spot on realistic. There's no need for huge action set pieces, no explosives, but the story tenses you up and the tension keeps piling on and piling on until you get to a terrific twist at the end. Well worth it.

Intense ending excellently built up to. Worth the watch.

What a terrific small budget indie thriller. It starts off slow and you wonder where it is going. Then it just grips and drags you into this finale that blows you away. Gritty acting. The sets are so grimy you feel you can touch them. And yet the camera work is so beautiful at times. The cast, including Dylan Baker, puts in a good performance and the director sure knows what he's doing. If you like film noir or neo noir, this little gem is definitely a must watch.

A huge twist at the end. Sloooooow to get there. Brutal when you do.

Pacing: agree with others. The pace can drop out but hang in there; It picks back up.

Plot: no spoilers. I just suggest...follow along and let the characters tell the tale. You're rooting for everything to work out. Age old story: prisoner, wants to reconnect with lost family, has demons to fight, little help (because he's a ex-con) but little glimpses of hope to keep you rooting for him. What seems like unneeded side characters add to where story is going but also, makes you scratch your head a little. Be patient.

Acting: for the most part, well acted. Some of the lines are a little forced. Even repetitive. This goes back to pacing. But the actors pulled it off. Just let the campy parts be campy.

Last notes: I loved the story and the plot twist. I hated the way it wrapped up. But I like tight endings. You may not feel the same. All this to say, it's not time wasted seeing this movie.