Sunday, August 23, 2020

Following a Murder, the Tide Recedes on a Coastal Town’s Secrets

Morgan Saylor (left) and Sophie Lowe in 
"Blow the Man Down"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com
Throughout writer-directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy's darkly comic thriller, “Blow the Man Down,” we have several sea shanties that are sung, bringing us into the culture of the film’s coastal setting and practically having you feel the sea spray hitting your face.  One of these lines from the titular song says, “Livin’ and sinnin’ go hand-into-hand.”

This couldn’t be a more apt summarization of the movie’s theme, a story of a town’s wrongs resurfacing as a new generation is tasked with facing them.

Mary Beth and Priscilla Connolly (Morgan Saylor and Sophie Lowe, respectively) are sisters living in the fictional fishing village of Easter Cove, Maine.  Having just lost their mother, they must now make it on their own.  After Mary Beth kills a local man (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) in self defense, she and Priscilla dispose of his body in the ocean.  This soon plunges them into a police investigation that will disclose the unsettling mysteries of their town and its inhabitants.

Saylor and Lowe give wonderful, emotional performances as sisters who learn that, in order to live in Easter Cove, you have to make difficult choices in order to survive.  There’s an understated intensity to both of them that shows how conflicted they are in trying to hold onto their moral selves, but also realizing that they must do questionable things in order to stay ahead of their new enemies.  Through their interactions, we witness the strain that it takes for them to keep together whatever is left of their lives from before the events of the movie, and the toughness of their performances keeps us invested in their journey as they try to right both the wrongs committed by themselves, as well as those by others.

The film has some colorful supporting characters, such as June Squibb, Annette O’Toole, and Marceline Hugot as a trio of women who know the poisonous ins and outs of Easter Cove; Gayle Rankin as a young woman who knows more than what she’s letting on; and Will Brittain as an officer who’s working on the case.  We’re given a detailed view into who these people are as you continue to wonder what their fates will be, and you’ll be compelled for every minute of their arcs.  

However, the standout performance of the film is Margo Martindale, who plays Enid Nora Devlin, a shady, don’t-get-in-my-way bed-and-breakfast owner who could help you if you help her, but won’t hesitate to mow you down if you try to pull a fast one on her.  It’s a role that allows for Martindale to be both malicious and humorous, showing an ability to take charge of any scene in which she appears, and she does it all without seeming like she’s trying to outshine anyone.  Her calm, snake-in-the-grass presence is enough to make her scenes memorable and recalls her impressive work as the equally intimidating crime-family matriarch Mags Bennett on FX’s television series, “Justified,” and Martindale leaves you in awe with how easy she can put you on edge.

Despite the movie being just barely an hour and a half, the screenplay by Cole and Krudy does everything that it can to invite you into this community and teach you about what goes on in the open and behind closed doors of the tranquil homes.  With the intriguing characters and layered story, we have a well-rounded view of Easter Cove, which helps to immerse us even more in the central mystery because of how familiar we become with the town and its residents.  Cole and Krudy build a superb narrative that slowly exposes the grit that lingers underneath the deceptive serenity of the community, building a disquieting case for how you don’t ever fully realize what may be happening in your home town that you seem to know so well.

Between the grainy cinematography by Todd Banhazl and the haunting musical score by Brian McOmber and Jordan Dykstra, we have a chilling atmosphere that mixes with the oppressively tight-knit, always-in-your-business appearance of the community, making you feel paranoid for the safety of Mary Beth and Priscilla as they try to cover up their crime.

The direction by Cole and Krudy has a Coen brothers vibe to it, giving this movie a sort of “Fargo” feel, due to the small-town folksiness, some eccentric supporting characters, tense and mysterious narrative, and dark humor that manages to fit effortlessly with the film’s more serious aspects.  With this only being Cole’s second feature and Krudy’s first, the way in which they’re able to pull you into these characters’ lives and provide you with a strong feeling for how this community operates isn’t anything short of impressive, and in the end, you couldn’t me more excited for whatever they do next.  

“Blow the Man Down” is a movie that brings you into a town where the cold, hard truth of the village is always threatening to bite you, and this movie is guaranteed to hook you like a fish.

Grade: A

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