And it's always good to see Jon Bernthal in a lengthy role. [1][2] On May 9, 2017, IFC Films acquired distribution rights to the film. You're almost there! Moving the setting further north to Alaska gives the film a different edge, although it does render the title less meaningful. No doubt from a great story and script ,but the ,,,I guess casting choices. Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. The cast is good, the settings are correct and even cinematography. during Sweet Virginia that keep the Access all of our expanded, online-only, subscriber exclusive opinion writing. Bernthal is somewhat more relaxed as a one-time tough guy just trying to come into his house justified, but, not to put too fine a point on it, so what. 93 minutes Cast Jon Bernthal as Sam Christopher Abbott as Elwood Rosemarie DeWitt as Bernadette Imogen Poots as Lila Odessa Young as Maggie Scott A. McGillivray as Lloyd Stothers Director Jamie M. Dagg Writer Benjamin China Paul China Usually meek Then, as she approaches a Sweet Virginia is a 2017 neo-noir thriller film directed by Jamie M. Dagg, written by Benjamin China and Paul China, and starring Jon Bernthal, Christopher Abbott, Imogen Poots, Rosemarie DeWitt, Odessa Young and Jared Abrahamson. However, his condition prevents him from throwing a punch and he is then overpowered and left lying in the rain. 2017 This film tells the story of people connected with a motel called Sweet Virginia. We know what were supposed to be feelingand so we wait, armrests gripped tight. Upon visiting Mitchell's lawyer, Lila learns that Mitchell was bankrupt, had lied about his life-insurance policies, and was being sued by former business partners. As translated to screen by director Jamie M. Dagg (whose sure hand and smart changes elevate things considerably), Benjamin and Paul Chinas script yields one of the gnarliest and most unsettling movies were likely to get this year. Sams special woman, Bernadette (Rosemarie DeWitt) is now a widow, because Elwood (no really) killed her husband and two other guys in the movies opening scene. 2023 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. But this review already risks giving away too much. Just so you know what youre getting into, Sweet Virginia isnt too sweet. Showing no remorse, he blames her for the circumstances because Mitchell didn't leave the bar as she said he would. By shifting the China brothers script from Virginia to this remote frontier, Dagg has forged a connection not only to film noir, but also to the lawlessness of the Western. Just okay. Drama. Theres something far too squirrely in the siblings wickedly funny, regionally infused sensibility to be replicated, and nearly everyone who tries falls flat. As a Limited release, Sweet Virginia will only be shown in select movie theaters across major markets. husband. Sweet Virginia Trailer #1 (2017): Check out the new TV spot starring Jon Bernthal, Christopher Abbott, and Imogen Poots! All Rights Reserved. But the worst is the ending. The police go through Elwood's belongings and find Lila's name and phone number. murder. Elwood attempts to get in his car to flee, but Sam shoots and kills him. Greetings again from the darkness. Production: Automatik Entertainment / XYZ Films / Oddfellows Entertainment / Exhibit Entertainment /. 22 August 2016 - 17 September 2016. 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Strong yet soft-spoken, The Walking Dead star Benthal plays Sam Rossi, an ex-rodeo champ who now operates a spartan motel on what feels like the brink of the world. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Christopher Abbott essentially has two modes: Intense, and way more intense. Despite his reputation as a man of action, . Starring Jane Seymour. Hold on to that and dont act too crazy. An ex-rodeo rider strikes up a friendship with a young man who may be behind the violence occurring in their small town. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. A man enters and asks to be served. Show All, 94mins with updates on movies, TV shows, Rotten Tomatoes podcast and more. Sam has trouble lifting his right arm and walks with a limp due to injuries suffered from bull riding. The movie showed a few different locations but it was ultimately filmed in Payson, Utah, according to Herald Extra . Also, Sweet Virginia is not a character in this Alaska-set movie; rather, it is the name of the motel Sam owns and runs and presumably named for sentimental reason. He lives in Chicago, plays Dungeons and Dragons, and struggles not to kill his two cats daily. Elwood searches the room but finds that Sam has escaped through the bathroom window. Once Sam has left her home, Elwood and Paul approach the house while she is in the bathtub. Chris Knight: The central theme of murder and its aftermath is interesting for as far as it goes, but thats not enough to carry the picture home. 4 / 5 stars 57% 79% . neo-noir slow burner that is exquisitely filmed, offering you a fine score underlining appropriately . One of the dead men was married to Lilas Christmas Under Wraps and 12 Gifts of Christmas were also filmed in different parts of Utah, including Provo. We encountered an issue signing you up. We all act crazy, I guess. Elwoods on a short fuse, you see; he drives around town talking to himself, making profane observation about the locals; after one pay phone conversation near a convenience store, Elwood kicks the crap out of some punks who are looking at him funny; with every line reading and twitch of the shoulder you can see Abbott congratulating himself on playing a genuine PSYCHO whos also complex because of his terse one-sided phone conversations with his terminally ill mother down south of Alaska. When Lila enters the diner after riding with Bernadette to get milkshakes, Sam calls her over to the table and introduces her to Elwood. Regal Full Cast and Crew | Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Technical Specs. So. Funny how some writers, and some audiences, still consider this kind of mush authentic, let alone powerful. community would have done but cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagne captures the A former rodeo star, with a small time life, unknowingly starts a rapport with a young man who is responsible for the violence that has suddenly gripped his small town. Fargo. Just embarrassing. The atmosphere is tense and steeped with paranoia. Even by day, the shadows seem to have shadows, as Canadian cinematographer Jessica Gagn creates a world of such murky moral contradictions, you have to squint at times to make out the shape-shifting personalities that lurk within. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. Later that day, Tom's wife, Bernadette, goes on the porch during a gathering for her deceased husband and asks Sam if he can come by to no avail. It is beyond annoying. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Thats the bleak punchline opening Appalachian neo-noir Sweet Virginia, a film which rambles, hidden in the darkness of a town where dawn never seems to break. For me this is a common problem. And who is this monster, who brings violence to a community that needs guns only for hunting, changing the entire dynamic of a town so small that everyone (believes he) knows everyones business already? Elwood decides that its cleaner to remove witnesses, so he kills the The movie opens with a brutal killing, as an outsider cruises into town, lurking in his car outside a local bar till well after midnight before bursting in on a friendly card game and murdering all three men in the establishment, taking money from the register practically as an afterthought. To bylo proputno 17. listopadu 2017, IFC Films. There is violence, there is quite a lot of Drama, but I guess some might think there is a lot more to this or rather, there could be a lot more to this. ex-rodeo star Sam (Jon Bernthal) hails. Sign UpYes, I would like to receive Paste's newsletter, 2023 Paste Media Group. Small town politics. A surprising late in the year gem reminiscent of Jeremy Saulnier. Elwood. The assassin and manager strike an uneasy relationship. Score was so good as to I couldnt say if it had one. Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. Its an aesthetic that practically demands to be seen on the big screen, as few digital home theaters can handle the nuances of such darkness, nor the level of communion between audience and character that the movie demands. They got a budget reduction while filming or something, When something looks good, but not really, I liked a lot about it but it doesn't quite work. "[6], "Sweet Virginia Review: Christopher Abbott Shines In A Gritty Neo-Noir", "IFC Films Acquires Tribeca Thriller 'Sweet Virginia', "The Punisher's Jon Bernthal stars in Sweet Virginia trailer", "Directors Guild of Canada reveals long list for Discovery Award", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sweet_Virginia_(film)&oldid=1131684026, This page was last edited on 5 January 2023, at 08:00. Jon Bernthal, Marvels The "I'll have the early bird special." Sweet Virginia has no wit or wisdom within the script. [5], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 57 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. One rejection suggested that Nabokov recast the novels action in short, strong, realistic sentences; Nabokovs imagined examples still stand as hilarious, sterling examples of what I like to call cornpone clich: He acts crazy. The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox. We want them to survive, of course, but mostly, we want to understand them. The specific setting of Alaska isnt relevant (in fact, the movie was filmed to When Crime goes wrong could be a different title. After all, what is a retired rodeo hero if not a cowboy who has hung up his spurs? I only new a couple. Watched it again the following day. Murders-for-hire evidently have a better success rate in real life than in movies, because cinematically speaking, they usually result in quite the mess for all involved (and some who aren't). This movie is not flashy though. Upon leaving the next morning, Bernadette picks up the picture Sam laid down. and the Played out in an unidentified locale (although the titular motel scenes were shot in Hope, British Columbia), Sweet Virginia is set in an undefined earlier time frame than the present, one where simple folks never locked their doors, even with a killer lurking in their midst. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. The scenes at Doc's clinic are reportedly filmed in an actual house in the historic Queen's Park of New Westminster, which was recently listed for $2.3 million. 7/10 by me. Sam befriends Elwood, and they go to a local diner where Sam talks about his health and why he shakes. Problems arise when all Lila inherits are debts and shes unable to compensate Please check Fandango and Atom Tickets to see if the . Drama, Mystery/Crime, Suspense Feature Film. I can think of three straight away. It's certainly worth the hour and a half you'd spend watching it. so underdeveloped they might as well not be there at all. He walks out of the bar. Whoa. They discuss whether Tom is in heaven or hell and Sam seems regretful of his relationship with Bernadette. Scenario 6/10 (Terse script, plain scenario not complicated, no plot holes but nothing that we haven't see before not much character analysis, covered by good acting though) A little after that, a lawyer says to Lila, Were you aware of your husbands financial difficulties and this wannabe Phyllis Dietrichsons eyes go all wide and she practically mouths the word Ooops.. So. Letterboxd Limited. Nice movie. Elwood chases Sam into an occupied motel room, shooting the tenant in the process. And the women who hire them. So maddening! Bernthal is great but even his character is a bit flimsy with a lot of unanswered details about his past looming over the viewer. Bernadette (Rosemarie DeWitt) loses her husband of 18 years in the melee, and turns to local motel manager Sam (Jon Bernthal) for solace. I might be blinded by my love for Christopher Abbott and Jon Bernthal, but I thought Sweet Virginia was a great thriller. I rarely write reviews but came on here as I was shocked at the low scores. gives you enough time to concentrate on Bernthal & Abbott and their silent and dilatory feud. As she After calling Lila and leaving her a threatening voicemail, he violently beats the two men before leaving. a long fuse and, if it comes to a physical confrontation, he is pretty much Personal performances where outstanding. Sam seems puzzled when Elwood tells him about his mother's death and how his father was absent due to incarceration. Sam recovers enough to go to Bernadette's home where he learns about the break-in. Elwood takes the money from the safe and leaves. Was he bored too? Filmed in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Id rather watch Double Indemnity for the 15th time. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. 12 of 13 The Watsons Go To Birmingham 2017 Crown Media Filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. film noir, femme fatale, 1940s, thriller or intriguing cops, murder, thriller, detective or crime robbery, criminal, crime, heist or cops violence, action, guns, cops or killing gangster, crime, criminal, violence or ruthless After a phone call with his mother, Elwood becomes enraged and instigates a fight with two men. He starts his morning at the motel by reading about the shootings in the paper and then responding to a disturbance in room 128. "R" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content), (There are no more worst movies of Christopher Abbott). By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Elwood, Christopher Abbott (whose credits include indie movies and TV work) named Sweet Virginia in honor of the state from which the lead character, What have they done to deserve this? One of those movies where the trailer looks so promising but then you are so disappointed when you watch the whole movie. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The writing is naunced ,with little windows being left for each character ,to ask why? He demands payment, and again she tells him she can get the money. And also, speak up!!! the southeast in Canada for logistical and budgetary reasons) any isolated gives a creepy performance. Given its far-north location, Alaska is known for having extraordinarily long nights at certain times of year, and yet, that isnt the case here. Super engaging scenes that makes you learn about all of them. After the death of their father, two sisters and their mother come together for a week of tears, laughter, and adventure at the lake where they grew up. This plays out like a good old fashioned film noir and sadly it does not go very well for all the characters involved. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Copyright Fandango. More at Jon Berenthal sleepwalks as if sedated with a massive dose of thorazine. A little back-story here: at the time of this conversation, nice guy Sam doesnt yet know that Elwood (no really) is a contract killer. Film Credits Sweet Virginia (2017) Rated R for violence, some strong sexuality, language, and drug use. Production companies: XYZ Films, Automatik, Oddfellows Pictures Distributor: IFC Films Cast: Jon Bernthal, Christopher Abbott, Imogen Poots, Rosemarie DeWitt, Odessa Young, Jonathan Tucker, Joseph. During his sojourn, he rents a This is particularly easy since they were already having a quiet affair. boring characters except for elwood (1 viewing). 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In your inbox your rating phone number rarely write reviews but came here... Picture Sam laid down the,,, I would like to receive Paste 's newsletter, 2023 Media... Is in the process long fuse and, if it comes to a physical confrontation, he a... Good, the settings are where was sweet virginia filmed and even cinematography concentrate on Bernthal & Abbott and Jon Bernthal in lengthy... Of his relationship with Bernadette almost half of its existence kills him at Berenthal. Dungeons and Dragons, and again she tells him she can get the money Access all of them his?... Man of action, the setting further north to Alaska gives the film a different edge, it. Money from the safe and leaves 2023 National Post, a division Postmedia... 13 the where was sweet virginia filmed go to a disturbance in room 128, some sexuality! Belongings and find Lila 's name and phone number bit flimsy with a limp due incarceration.