Red White and Blue is the British directed, Austin set Audition for 2010 and I mean that in the best way possible. As challenging as the film may be, I expect it to slowly gather a devout audience that's going to turn this into an iconic cult item in the years to come through word of mouth. I only hope that it gets its well earned praise for the right reasons unlike Audition. Be warned, potential spoilers abound in this review.
When I read or listen to most people's positive reactions to Audition, I'm generally bothered and annoyed, just watch Eli Roth's interview on the DVD for example. Audition is a film that many people seem to love simply because "it's fucked up" and the whole ending supposedly comes from nowhere. Many of my peers honestly believe that Audition is some cheery romantic comedy that suddenly shifts towards torture horror as a surprise. Audition is a dark and foreboding deconstruction of gender roles and contemporary sexual politics in Japan from minute one. And that's not even mentioning its themes concerning the extreme ramifications of sexual abuse.
In this regard, Red White and Blue is the same. The film is a slow burn that might trick some people into thinking it's about one thing when it's another. But none of the horrific events that play out toward the end should really be surprising, unexpected, or feel unwarranted. I'm only jealous that Simon Rumley has beaten me to the punch.
For the last two years I've been developing a serious minded and dramatic romance for the horror set. I have my own script about damaged people with the uncontrolable need to destroy others who find solace in connecting with a like minded soul without explicitly knowing each other's private actions. Essentially, I've wanted to make a non-ironic serial killer love film. Oh.... Did I just give away Red White and Blue? Well, it shouldn't be that huge of a spoiler. My friend and I figured it out 10 minutes in.
The film follows Erica, bravely played by Amanda Fuller. Erica is a young, disenfranchised transient living in Austin at a boarding house. She spends her nights touring the many bars of Austin, finding men for casual, unprotected sex. She sleeps with groups of men, older men, fat men, any men. She refuses to fuck with condoms and she takes pictures of her partners that she keeps as souvenirs in her scrap book. All of this is shown in the opening reel and if you can't figure out the big reveal that comes later, then you're probably missing out on the point of the film entirely.
Erica meets Nate, her new neighbor, at the boarding home. Noah Taylor gives another strikeout performance as the uber creepy, ex soldier fresh out of Iran. He develops a liking towards the young woman for a seemingly inexplicable reason and helps get her a job. During their first conversation, Nate tells Erica about his troubled childhood and his incurable desire to torture animals. He specialized in interrogations during the war and has a pending job offer with the C.I.A. Again, if you can't tell what's happening here yet you need to leave the theater.
Slowly, the two develop a bond. Erica allows Nate to get close and touch her, something no other man is allowed to do. But under no circumstances can the two of them have sex.... Can you still not figure this out?!
And then there's Franki, a young hipster in a fledgling rock band who sleeps with Erica in the opening scene. Although his story is the least interesting, it serves an important purpose. Franki is caring for his dying mother. He routinely supplies blood to her for her an unspecified disease. Although he initially comes off as a prick, the film dutifully develops sympathy for this character and we grow to like him. He's actually a decent guy dealing with incredibly awful circumstances. And then the shit hits the fan and he's sent on a violent and destructive course that collides with Nate and Erica. Care to guess how? More than a few audience members drew fair comparisons to Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.
But it's the relationship with Erica and Nate where the film soars and I only wish it was developed further. I knew what was coming from the beginning but I was more interested in the interaction between these two sad and terrifying characters. Erica and Nate are equally loathsome and pitiful characters. I haven't seen their story before. I've seen plenty of violent revenge films and I understand why it went the direction it went, but the film's one major flaw is that it spent too much time on the climax. There's something really raw and powerful about the couple's chemistry. Amanda lays all the cards on the table and delivers a performance worthy of comparison to Maria Bello. This is a star making turn. That is, if any power agent has the stomach to sit through this.
During the Q & A, Amanda thanked the audience for staying around. I believe two people walked out towards the end and Amanda claimed that was the least amount of walk outs she's seen for the film yet. Supposedly, the film sends about half the audience out running for the hills. But she seems to take it with a grain of salt. If anything, it's a testament to the film's power. With the exclusion of some very awkward dialogue, everything felt very authentic and true. This is not light viewing material.
So, I'm probably hyping up the violence more than I should. Again, I think the film bares a lot of resemblance to Audition with this. There isn't that much gore on screen, but the very notion of what is happening along with the excellent direction and acting, intense editing, creative sound design, and an overall sense of realism make the acts of violence all the more harrowing. I think this is a word that every critic has used to describe this.
No doubt about it, this is a bleak, bleak film and sure to put a damper on your night. Sorry, Travis, but bad choice programming this on a Saturday! Thanks. But it was nice to meet the lovely Ms. Fuller.
Even though I came prepared with my magical flask, I felt inappropriate drinking during this particular film. I certainly wanted a beer or eight afterwards though. And just so you know; it was Lone Star in honor of the Austin location. And if by any chance Tim League reads this review, I gave a very small applause when I saw the obligatory Alamo Drafthouse shot.
So yeah, y'all need to check this one out however you can.
Review by indiemaker.