The Red Road premiered on the US Sundance TV (formerly known as Sundance Channel) in February this year. It’s the second original drama created by the channel following on from the critically acclaimed series
Rectify that also screened on Rialto Channel.
The Red Road stars
Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa and our very own Martin Henderson and this compelling and atmospheric series is my first pick for the week.
The Red Road premiered on the US Sundance TV (formerly known as Sundance Channel) in February this year. It’s the second original drama created by the channel following on from the critically acclaimed series Rectify that also screened on Rialto Channel. The Red Road stars Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa and our very own Martin Henderson and this compelling and atmospheric series is my first pick for the week.
The Red Road (2014)
Starring: Martin Henderson, Jason Momoa, Julianne Nicholson
Directed by: Terry McDonough, Lodge Kerrigan, James Gray & J. Michael Muro
Screening: Tuesday 30th November, 8.30pm
Like Rectify, The Red Road is another haunting, thought provoking and mysterious drama series from Sundance TV. Only six episodes long, this crime thriller series is set in a small town tucked away in the mountains of New Jersey. Momoa plays an ex con who returns home to his American Indian family and develops an unlikely allegiance with a local cop (Henderson). There’s a whole lot going on in the first couple of episodes but it’s not until we get about half way through this series we start to see how it all comes together. The characters are complex and fascinating, and are revealed to us slowly through these early episodes. That said, the action moves along at a nice pace, offering just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you engaged, and coming back for more.
Smashed (2012)
Directed by: Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer & Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Starring: James Ponsoldt
Screening: Rialto Selection, Saturday 8th November, 8.30pm
Director James Ponsoldt made a name for himself internationally this year with his award winning coming of age story The Spectacular Now staring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. But before the The Spectacular Now, there was Smashed, a recovering addict movie that unfolds without the usual melodrama and self pity sometimes associated with this subject matter. Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead is fabulous as Kate, a Los Angeles’ primary school teacher who finds her drinking getting out of control. As her behavior gets more and more self destructive, Kate recognizes she has to do something about her problem, and this is what’s so appealing about Ponsoldt and his co screenwriter Susan Burke’s (The Invisible War) tale; it features an intelligent, self aware and strong lead character. It’s a tough road for Kate, and her new found sobriety puts a strain on her marriage and friendships, but Ponsoldt handles her journey with a light hand, making Smashed an enjoyable watch as well as a grim reminder of the complexities of alcoholism.
In The Shadow (2012)
Starring: Ivan Trojan, Sebastian Koch & Sona Norisová
Directed by: David Ondříček
Screening: Rialto World, Monday 3rd November, 8.30pm
In the Shadow is a historical detective film set in Prague in 1953, and shot as a film noir. Police Captain Hakl (Ivan Trojan) is sent to investigate a simple robbery and finds himself caught up in a political plot that involves State Security and German intelligence. At great personal risk, Hakl is determine to get to the bottom of this cover up, which sees a group of Jew’s falsely accused of committing the robbery, but first he has to work out who to trust. The film works well in the noir style capturing the mood of that era. As director David Ondříček explains, “The early 1950s is one of the darkest times in Czechoslovak history. Communism was consolidating its power, Soviet advisors were overseeing the founding of the State Security bureau. People were disoriented and afraid. Rain, dark corners, frequent power blackouts, help create the atmosphere of a film noir.” Lovers of cold war thrillers and historical dramas will enjoy unraveling this web of lies and deceit.