Dwight
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Apr 25, 2014 · Smart, stripped-down, and thrillingly grim, Blue Ruin proves that a well-told revenge story can still leave its audience on the edge of their seat. Read Critics Reviews
- (142)
- Jeremy Saulnier
- R
- Macon Blair
Dark and devoid of excess plot, Blue Ruin tells a revenge tale filled with superbly tuned suspense and clean, efficient filmmaking. Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 5, 2022
May 18, 2013 · Cannes Film Review: ‘Blue Ruin’. A lean and suspenseful genre piece that follows a bloody trail of vengeance to its cruel, absurd and logical conclusion. By Justin Chang.
Apr 25, 2014 · Mar 23, 2022. Hate begets hate in this smart, incredibly tense, dramatic, yet darkly funny revenge thriller from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier. With a star making performance from Macon Blair, Blue Ruin is a fantastic showcase for both the men in front of and behind the camera. Read More.
- (33)
- Jeremy Saulnier
- R
- Macon Blair
- Blue Steel
- Verdict
By Leigh Singer
Posted: May 1, 2014 9:52 am
There comes a time in your life when you finally, sadly, have to admit: you are not, and will never be, Liam Neeson. That if something precious is Taken from you, you simply don’t have the particular set of skills to get it back or get payback. Your amateur efforts will likely make you a nightmare to people like, well, yourself actually.
No, the harsh truth is, when seeking vengeance, most of us aren’t Neeson’s ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills; nor Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo, nor Maximus Decimus Meridius. We’d be much more like the unfortunate Dwight in lean, mean new thriller Blue Ruin.
OK, perhaps not at first glance. When we meet Dwight, he’s a feral-looking hobo rocking a Tom Hanks/Cast Away look, sneaking baths in empty homes, food from trash bags, eking out an existence in a clapped-out, intriguingly bullet-ridden Pontiac (the blue ruin of the title). It’s only when this clearly traumatized individual is informed that a certain Will Cleland is about to be released from prison that he discovers a sense of purpose. Unfortunately that purpose is to avenge Cleland’s as yet unrevealed crime, by taking his life.
Revenge is one of the most exploited storylines in modern movies (directors like Tarantino or Park Chan-wook with his Vengeance trilogy, seem to have founded entire careers on it), and it’s easy to see why. Done well – Munich, Dead Man’s Shoes, Park’s Old Boy - it can mine rich, murky dramatic terrain. All too frequently though, it’s just a cheap, convenient plot engine far too easily gunned into overdrive, mowing down any moral complexities and ending in righteous, vicarious violence.
Blue Ruin belies its modest means to deliver gripping tension and an unlikely character study. For all involved, particularly its main filmmaker and lead actor - if not their protagonist - revenge is truly sweet.
Apr 25, 2014 · Blue Ruin is a classic revenge tale driven by Macon Blair’s superb central performance.
May 5, 2014 · Writer/director/cinematographer Jeremy Saulnier is riding a wave of acclaim for his brilliant thriller "Blue Ruin," a film that has played dozens of festivals from Cannes to Sundance, is now playing in limited release, and is currently available On Demand.
