A Single Shot (2013)

One of the entries for m.brown's Mt. Rushmore blogathon was Getter's four of Sam Rockwell characters with great beards. A Single Shot was number one. There were several pictures and that beard was basically porn --if you are into beards-- hence I watched the movie. 

With his wife (Kelly Reilly) and kid gone --she took the kid and left, they ain't dead-- and his father dead, John Moon (Sam Rockwell) is depressed, lives in poverty and feeds himself by hunting deer. One day he accidentally kills a woman (Christie Burke), he decides to tell nobody and takes the huge load of cash he finds in her car since he is desperate to get his wife and kid back. Unfortunately, the money belongs to some criminal (Jason Isaac) and John not only will have to fight for his family but for his life. 

It's a pretty interesting story, at least at the beginning. Unfortunately, its execution is very poor and I soon lost my interest in it (and if it wasn't for Sam Rockwell and his beard I would have probably never finished it). The plot lacks originality, it's never completely believable, it has many holes and the plot twists are nothing you couldn't see coming. And boy if it's dull!

The slow pacing is another annoying aspect of A Single Shot. I love slow paced movies when the slowness has a point, whether it is to develop its characters or a relationship, or building tension. The problem with this one is that the characters are poorly introduced and have poor characterization and development. The pace is okay at first and it builds some tension but most of the time it's just annoying.

The dialogue is another problem. It's not like the characters say things that are worth listening to anyway, but many times the lines "delivered" are incompressible. Sure, part of the blame is on me for not understanding the Southern accent that well, but all that mumbling and whispering, I think I'd struggle to understand them even if I knew the accent well. 

Well Go USA Entertainment

On the other hand, A Single Shot has a nice, moody, melancholic cinematography that fits the story very well, and so does the score. These are the two aspects to be thanked for the film's tension and suspense.

Then there's the acting. I'll never get tired of saying this but Sam Rockwell is one of the most underrated actors ever. While the paper-thin character says and does a lot of idiotic stuff --thank you Matthew F. Jones for such an awful script--, Rockwell (unsurprisingly) gives a great performance as simple-minded, down-on-hi-luck John Moon. He shows vulnerability and desperation and he's very believable in the role of his broken man.

The supporting cast also does a good job, especially Jeffrey Wright who plays Moon's alcoholic best friend --I could barely understand a thing of what the man was saying but he plays a drunk so I guess it's okay--, William H. Macy as a corrupt, sleazy lawyer and Joe Anderson as a young thug. Jason Isaac, on the other hand, failed to be menacing.