American Gun (2005)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: C
The film American Gun paints a bull’s eye on the
effects that gun violence has on America and fires. The film centers on three very different and
individual stories that are linked by the happenings of gun violence. First there is the amazing cast, which
includes the fabulous Marcia Gay Harden who plays the struggling mother of a
son who shot-up his school before taking his own life, now being thrown back
into society as a shunned outcast attempting to raise her one surviving son. Donald Sutherland also joins the cast as a
gun shop owner trying to raise his granddaughter who he barely knows and can
not relate to, while protecting the Americans’ right to bare arms.
A third
excellent addition to the already talented cast is Forest Whitaker (most
recently on the medical dram ER) who
holds his ground as the antiviolence, anti-gun, no nonsense, educationally
driven principal of an inner city school.
Overall, the acting caliber of everyone who took part in this film is
wonderful. The three stories never mesh
together to become one like the viewer may expect but one can clearly see the
link between each as each individual struggles to find their place in this
violent and at times misunderstood world.
Though
the acting is excellent the overall storyline fails to captivate. The characters have a certain degree of depth
and heart which is admirable but the entwined plot contains little substance to
hold ones interest. The film is adequate
to watch once through to experience what good acting is, but beyond this the
film remains loose and not very solid.
The
technical aspects of this DVD are adequate but could be much better. The picture is presented in an Anamorphic
Widescreen 1.85 X 1 format, which for the most part is ok but color issues and
light/dark problems often pop-up to takeaway form the film’s presentation. The sound is also adequate but not outstanding
in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround that often has high/low issues that also are distracting. The extras include a lackluster “The Making of American Gun” which has little re-watchable value and does not
have enough depth to comment on.
In the
end, the film reminds this reviewer somewhat of the film Crash but not as solid of a storyline, which is disheartening since
Crash on its own had storyline
issues that detracted from the overall viewing.
Though the storyline was off putting the combination of actors and film
style of American Gun are enough to
make the film at least enjoyable for one sit through. IFC films puts out an array of great
releases, this particular film just lacking substance to be truly great.
- Michael P Dougherty II
