directed by Melanie Laurent
This 2018 neo-noir movie was the English language directorial debut of Melanie Laurent. You may remember her from her role in Inglorious Basterds as Shoshanna, the Jewish cinema owner, who is seeking revenge on the Nazis for murdering her family.
Apparently Laurent is something of a Renaissance woman, being a director, actress and singer among other things. Anyhow you may think after reading this post that you know what Galveston is all about.
It's definitely a story you've seen before. A bad man is forced through circumstances to defend a broken angel of a woman from even worse people. In so doing he may rediscover his own humanity, find redemption and perhaps even find some love.
And as in many films of this type a road trip is included. You've likely seen or read that story a thousand times before. I know I have.
This could be Roy's distrust of people or the fact that he believes he's not long for this world. Both Roy and Elle have secrets which will be shared, if not always with other, then with the viewer.
Galveston follows that basic outline. The best way I can describe this film visually is that it hearkens back to some late sixties early seventies films. Things are literally very dark on screen at times, reflecting some of the characters and the decisions that they make.
This is not Hollywood action film. No one gets shot in the shoulder and declares in a deadpan manner "It went straight through. I'll be fine." When people get hurt, physically or more often emotionally, they stay hurt for a while. Laurent takes her time establishing characters reactions and feelings. There's a fair amount of silence throughout the film as we watch people react to each other, wordlessly express feelings, or just survive ordeals.
This film was an emotional gut-punch because it defied typical Hollywood conventions even as it made the viewer think that they would be upheld. This is based on a novel of the same name by Nick Pizzolatto (creator of True Detective), who also wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym. I think I would like to read that book now.
Have you ever had a job where your boss doesn't like you? That's not good. It can be worse if you are unaware of it.
Someone who doesn't enthusiastically greet the boss in the hallway may be marked down on a performance review. Someone who skips a status meeting may belatedly discover that was the last straw for a boss who already disliked her. A boss may schedule regular meetings with an employee to express her disdain and to encourage the employee to quit and save her the trouble of firing him.
Roy (Ben Foster) is an enforcer and occasional hitman for the New Orleans mobster Stan Pitko (Beau Bridges). Roy's vaguely aware that he's not Stan's most favorite person in the world. Apparently a woman is involved. But Roy has more serious problems. An alcoholic and prodigious cigarette smoker, Roy's been having breathing problems and coughing fits. A doctor confirms that there's a mass on Roy's lung. Roy leaves before the doctor can tell him how much longer he has to live with the Big C.
Stan lets Roy and another goon know that he has a job for them. They must scare someone who owes Stan money. But because Roy and the other fellow can sometimes be too intense, Stan orders them not to take any guns with them. Just a shakedown, maybe a few slaps and threats is all that Stan wants. Well that's odd.
When Roy and his co-worker show up at the house to play Big Bad Wolf they are ambushed. But you don't get to be a middle aged hitman by being unresourceful or trusting.
Roy turns the tables on Stan's people and kills them all. Roy rescues a very young and very frightened escort named Rocky (Elle Fanning) who was evidently in the wrong place at the wrong time. Roy takes some evidence. Roy and Rocky flee New Orleans for Roy's hometown of Galveston. Along the way they pick up Rocky's three year old sister. For someone who murders and terrorizes people for a living Roy is initially judgmental about Rocky's career path.
This could be Roy's distrust of people or the fact that he believes he's not long for this world. Both Roy and Elle have secrets which will be shared, if not always with other, then with the viewer.
In many American action movies, Rocky would just be eye candy, there for the hero's growth. Or she might be an action grrl who can kill people with bobby pins. She's not that. Neither is Roy a superhuman killer. Galveston is not a cartoonish movie where everyone is always safe. People make mistakes. They tell lies. They trust people they shouldn't trust and distrust those they should trust. This feels very real. There's not much exposition. These two people must often choose between options that are horrible and worse. I enjoyed this film.
Galveston has something to say about love, sacrifice and redemption. I will remember this film. Again this is not an action film where the hero gets cool one liners while eliminating dozens of baddies. If you want that, look elsewhere.
Some people might find this film depressing. I found it both realistic and in some ways transcendent. Foster and especially Fanning did good jobs. C.K. McFarland impresses as a blunt, protective, and suspicious hotel owner. There is a long but wordless tracking shot that reminded me of a similar scene in Goodfellas. The look of the film is magnificent save for the darkness in some scenes.
