Thursday, September 30, 2010

Red White & Blue: Twist and Turns of Torture and Tragedy

If you’re a procrastinator, and by some tragic circumstance miss out on tickets to tomorrow night’s amazing Black Carpet Gala: I Spit on Your Grave (PS: There are still a few tickets left!) - never fear! There is no need to stay home and pout whilst staring at The Exorcist for the 400th time, there is a better option! The winner of the Best Film award at the Boston Underground Film Festival, and Best International Feature Film at the Fantasia International Film Festival is a sure way to get your Friday night fright on. Red White & Blue is an American thriller that combines awkward romance, mental instability, enormously bad luck, and a cast of emotionally compelling characters in a story that will guide you through the psyches of different perspectives - some which are touching and tragic, others which are incredibly disturbing.

After losing her job, sexually promiscuous and bitter Erica is on the brink of being evicted. Thanks to the kindness of older neighbour, Nate, she is relieved to find work at the local warehouse where he is employed. Nate is drawn to Erica despite her coldness, and Erica is eventually intrigued by Nate’s kind, but mysterious nature. The two share a complicated, awkward, yet well-intentioned attraction to one another despite their differences in age and past experiences. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a garage band is lead by enthusiastic rocker and loving son, Frankie. He balances his musical ambitions and sexual exploits with the care of his mother who is battling cancer. Thanks to a past sexual encounter with Erica, the world of Frankie and his band clash violently with Erica and Nate - leading to a horrific climax of violence, torture, and tragedy.

I absolutely loved this film. For the first hour you may wonder why it has gained a place in the Late Night Line-Up, as it closer resembles a dark, indie-romance in the beginning, but it’s inclusion in CIFF’s horror series will become gut-wrenchingly apparent once the third act rears it’s ugly (and entertaining) head. That is not to say that the movie is dull and motionless until the violence sets in - quite the contrary. The characters are complex and fascinating, and the film takes a welcome amount of time building the personalities of the players in way that makes the final act strikingly powerful. It perfectly balances drama and brutality, treating the audience to a moving, intense, and at times despicable, tale of unfortunate love and circumstance.

As the token horror junkie, I feel compelled to add that Red White & Blue is MY PICK for favorite Late Night Feature of CIFF 2010. It plays on Friday, October 1st, at the Plaza at 11:30 PM. Pick up your tickets at the CIFF Box Office location, or online. Don’t miss out - successful horror/dramas such as this are few and far between!