Cast: Jamie Bell, Josh Lucas, Devon Alan, Dermot Mulroney
Director: David Gordon Green
Producers: Terrence Malick, Lisa Muskat, Edward R. Pressman
Screenplay: Joe Conway and David Gordon Green
Cinematography: Tim Orr
Music: Philip Glass
U.S. Distributor: United Artists
I suppose if one was to classify Undertow, it would go into the "thriller" category (the appropriate sub-genre would be the newly-coined "Southern gothic"). In reality, however, Undertow has as much, if not more, in common with road movies than it does with traditional thrillers, and because it does a better job developing personalities than suspense, it is a more effective character study. All of these diverse elements (and a few more) are present in this atypical story from director/co-writer David Gordon Green (George Washington), who brews them into a whole that, while imperfect, is nevertheless pleasing.
The story transpires in rural Georgia, and Green pulls the audience into this uninviting setting from the first frame. When it comes to establishing place and time, the director is an expert. When Green's camera takes us to a hot, dirty pig farm in the middle of nowhere, we are there. Similarly, we visit dirt roads and pathways that civilization seems to have forgotten, small towns with tiny general stores where the locals gather to gossip, and a junkyard that is a testimony to the obsolescence of man's ingenuity. Every place that appears in Undertow is authentic, and this is one of the movie's greatest strengths. (There are times when the visuals echo those of Badlands and Days of Heaven, two pictures made by one of Undertow's producers, Terence Malick.)
Green opens his film with a scene that will jar many viewers, and cause a few to glance away from the screen. Teenager Chris Munn (Jamie Bell) is seen fleeing from the gun-toting father of his would-be girlfriend. At first, it looks like a merry chase, with Chris always a few steps ahead - until he jumps off the roof of a shed and his bare foot lands on a board with a protruding nail. The instance of the injury hurts the viewer as much as when something similar happened to Jennifer Connelly in House of Sand and Fog. It clues us into the fact that, while the protagonists of Undertow might be kids, this is no ordinary coming-of-age story.
Chris is in constant trouble with the law, and it causes his taciturn father, John (Dermot Mulroney) to despair. John is an introverted man who moved to the middle of nowhere after the death of his wife because he couldn't stand to be around people. Chris resents the isolation, but his younger brother, 10-year old Tim (Devon Alan), appreciates the solitude. Tim is a sickly child, whose unspecified malady prevents him from working, allowing him to fill his hours reading books. One day, the family's routines are interrupted by the arrival of Deel (Josh Lucas), John's newly-paroled brother. Deel seems to be looking to re-unite with his family, but there's something in his eyes that hints at a darker motivation.
Initially, Deel fulfills the role of the "favorite uncle," allowing Chris in particular to get away with things his father would never allow. He also does his best to befriend Tim. However, it doesn't take long for his mercenary nature to be revealed, along with a nasty streak. It seems that John inherited a collection of gold coins from his and Deel's father, and now Deel wants his "fair share." One act of unpleasantness leads to another, and soon the boys are on the run, fleeing through the Georgia countryside, one step ahead of their pursuer.
The people Chris and Tim meet along the way do not fit the "quirky" stereotypes we're used to encountering in road movies. Instead, they are real people: a childless couple who is happy to have two young mouths to feed, a shipmaster who won't employ someone underage, and two homeless girls who take the boys to a place where the disenfranchised gather. The movie never lets us forget that danger is trailing Chris and Tim, but it doesn't dwell on this, either - at least not until the plot forces things to come to a head.
The success of the film rests on the shoulders of the two young actors. Jamie Bell, who shot to fame playing the title character in Billy Elliot, effectively expresses the transformation of Chris from glum and self-centered to a concerned caregiver. Bell's strong, focused performance is an opposite from his work in Billy Elliot, highlighting not only the actor's talent, but his range. Devon Alan, although not as demonstrative, is believable as the frail Tim. Meanwhile, Josh Lucas, who plays both villains and romantic leads equally well, turns up the hatred, rage, and sadism to peak levels for this performance. He is chilling. Dermot Mulroney hides his natural charm and good looks beneath a scraggly beard and unkempt personality, presenting John as unreachable.
Undertow will have limited appeal to mainstream audiences, who frequently do not have the patience to let a movie like this unveil its pleasures. There are allusions to everything from mythology to the Bible to the Brothers Grimm. The film starts out slowly, allowing us the opportunity to get to know the characters, before things start to happen. And, although there is violence and danger, this is less about the chase than it is about the relationship between the siblings. Those going to Undertow expecting a thriller will find the proceedings slow going. However, those who are seduced by the characters and the setting will find that the 105 minutes pass quickly.
© 2004 James Berardinelli