RED (2008)

Directed By: Lucky McKee & Trygve Allister Diesen
Written By: Stephen Susco
Based On The Book By: Jack Ketchum
Cinematography By: Harald Gunnar Paalgard
Editor: Jon Endre Mok

CAST: Brain Cox, Tom Sizemore, Noel Fisher, Shiloh Fernandez, Robert Englund, Amanda Plummer, Kim Dickens, Richard Riehle, Kyle Gallner


First and foremost the main reason to see this film is the performance of brain cox even though the film is good he really elevates the material and brings it to a level that could have been reached without him but not in the same way.

Now I read the book the movie is based on before watching the film I literally watched the movie the same day I finished the book now they have changed some things around from the book a bit of the ending and some details that were served in the book to flesh out the story but in the film are skipped to keep the plot going with no distractions. The films ending makes you think surprisingly more then the book which in turn makes the lead character a little more deep.

The only problem I really had with the film is that it is filmed on digital video which makes this production look cheap. I don’t know what the budget of the film was but it takes away or distracts a little from the movie which deserves more richness in the background and I understand the story takes place in a small town but wherever they filmed it it looks like a ghost town more of a tourist attraction. Buildings don’t look lived in preserved but not lived in. I know it’s a nit-pick, but it bothered me.

The story is one of revenge where a tragedy happens for no real good reason and all the man wants is a apology and for the perpetrator to take responsibility but wherever he turns he can’t get any justice and just when he is ready to settle he keeps getting pushed and picked on to his breaking point when all hell breaks loose.

The reason this tale works is that like It’s main character it’s rough but sticks to a certain moral code that seems lacking in the modern world or seems to be dying and considered outdated. I really liked the main character in the book. The way brain cox plays him in the movie fleshed him out and made me like all the more.

This film has a curious production most of the film was completed by director Lucky McKee until filming was halted and then started up six months later with director
Trygve Allister Diesen. taking over no explination was ever given but luckily the film uses both men’s footage seamlessly there are no scenes where I would guess one of them directed this and the other directed that there is no bad overlapping of styles or performances. Which is surprising. It’s really a shame because with this film it really seemed like lucky McKee was back on the right track with a worthy follow up to his Excellent First Film MAY. He almost directed the film version of Jack Ketchum’s Novel the lost but ended up just producing it.

Tom Sizemore’s performance could have been better he usually plays these types of roles in his sleep and here he seems like he is doing exactly that he doesn’t seem to have the energy that he usually puts into his performances. He just seems wishy washy and not even a good nemesis for brain Cox’s character you could see the hero washing the floor with this guy. Also it’s a shame a talented actress like Amanda plummer has to take bit roles like these she deserves better not that this is not a worthy movie for her. She just deserves bigger and better roles.

This is a worthy rental that will make you think afterwards. Thanks to a poignant ending.

GRADE: B-