“That is Scripture”
A “Review” of Red State
A film by Kevin Smith
A little history behind the story of Red State is a good place to start. Zombie vs. Shark wishlister Kevin Smith took what I would call a big leap from the normal. Not just the Smith idea of normal filmmaking but a big leap from what “normal” filmmaking has been in recent memory. Get this, Red State is not a remake, reboot, super hero, reimagining or sequel. I know, shocking. Red State was made on a small, by industry terms, budget. Four million is what Smith had to work with and you can see he used every penny smartly. Smith also decided to distribute the movie himself instead of selling it to a major studio such as Universal who distributed Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. This is truly a departure from the way most movies have been made and sold to use the audience in the past. For the full story behind Smith’s innovative imagination and risk, go to
www.smodcast.com and listen to the RED STATE OF THE UNION podcast.
Now, to be honest, I have been looking forward to this film more than any movie possibly in my lifetime. Let us start at what in my opinion is possibly the most important part of any good film, the script. Anyone who has seen Kevin Smith’s body of work understands he is an incredible wordsmith, no pun intended. He can put pen to paper and come up with some of the best-scripted dialogue imaginable. He did not disappoint in Red State. But like I have said this is not a typical Smith movie. Yes there is some “crude” humor and lengthy speeches in the film but they are all well placed. The difference in Red State is the movie isn’t revolving around the dialogue as much as using it to move this story along. As for the story, I would say that it is best described as the story of a cult and how extreme people's beliefs can be and what those beliefs can cause. The movie is pretty much a three-part film, as Smith described himself. The first part being in the Smith genre, meaning good dialogue with crude humor. The second part however completely takes a path away from that. Dialogue yes, but in no way crude. I would describe the second part of Red State as The Cooper Family. Don’t want to give too much away but when you have seen the film you will understand. The final part is all in all a Waco Texas standoff off with a ton of ammunition.
So for the acting, one word AMAZING. I will begin by saying Michael Parks, as Abin Cooper is one of the finest acting performances I have seen. He is able to play a “villain” in a way that doesn’t make you fear him but makes you uncomfortable. His ability to so strongly believe he is right and the world is wrong makes him a character I would never want to be around. Melissa Leo plays Sara, Abin Cooper’s daughter. If you have never seen Melissa Leo act you are missing something special. She is able to put so much behind a subtle look that you can almost tell what she is thinking. John Goodman plays special agent Joseph Keenan of the ATF. Goodman is one of my favorite on screen storytellers. He does not disappoint during Red State. I am sure that Park’s speech will be talked about much more but I was more impressed with Goodman’s speech towards the end of the film. Michael Angarano, Nicholas Braun and Kyle Gallner play three high school friends to perfection. Kerry Bishe plays Cheyenne, Abin Cooper’s granddaughter. She is able to show heart in a family where you are sure there is none. Stephen Root puts a lot of heart and fear into Sheriff Wynan. The list could go on and on.
Now to say I thought Red State was flawless would be a grave mistake. I was not crazy about the end of the film but was very pleased it did not go in the direction I thought it was while I was watching. I did feel like Park’s speech went on a little to long, but there was enough breaks in it to keep you listening to what he had to say.
All that being said, I would strongly recommend this movie to people who enjoy Acting, Creative Camera Work, Perfect Scenery, Unexpected Plot Moves and Characters That Will Haunt You.
Oh and a small side note, Red State is available for rent on many VOD platforms, such as on iTunes, where the price of this rental is $9.99 for 24 hours. Yes that is higher than normal but when you understand the story behind distribution it will not seem inappropriate. Think of it in terms of movie ticket prices, for the same price as a ticket you can watch it in the comfort of your own home. Even cheaper if you invite friends over and everyone chips in.
