Shotgun Stories

A drama/thriller set in rural Arkansas. Yes, usually the domain of boring indie films. But writer-director Jeff Nichols does a wonderful job of utilizing the minimalist, almost uninteresting setting as a canvas for a spartan yet solid story.

Very little takes place. There is not much "action" per se. Dialogue takes precedence as the story drifts from simple to intense moments. What makes this film all the more remarkable is that it relies on almost no tried and tested gimmicks - no quick cuts, pounding music or bankable stars. But it works beautifully. The result is a tale of revenge where the resolution is not found in violent closure or forgiveness, but weariness.

The Visitor

Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a man of few words and somewhat disillusioned with his job, life and well, you get the idea. He goes to New York and finds out that somebody is living in his apartment. What follows is a poignant, tragic meditation on everything from relationships to illegal immigration.

Jenkins and others are to be commended for their subtle, perhaps flawless performances, seemingly at home in a low-key drama that will bore some people to death but for others capture their hearts and minds (I fell somewhere in between).

The story is a simple one, and while it does go out of its way to comment on some issues (especially immigration and living in - there's that word again - a post 9/11 world), Thomas McCarthy (writer and director) directs it so very well that the end result is a minimalist story that packs a whole lot of punch.