The Bygone

source: The Bygone

The movie is well directed and there is some nice locations. The cast is not very well known, but they did an okay job I think. Its not a blockbuster, but it kept me interested all though some scenes could have been better.

I enjoyed many aspects of this film. It was well shot, and the direction was competent. Acting was good and convincing. I wish the lead character had more spine, defensive skills, and was a bit more of a man. I suppose they were trying to make his character realistic, but living the life he lived, would tend to make a man more of a man than he appeared to be most of the movie. There may have been a sense of realism to some of the characters in this film. But, the bad guys were drawn a bit too evil, and the sheriff was drawn a bit too naive. The performances otherwise were very good. It felt like the director was going for something mythical, especially in the last scenes. They felt a bit over the top. The villain was given way too much leeway. When you have a chance in this life to waste garbage, you pull the trigger. It is an important topic, one that most Americans do not seem to want to have anything to do with. We wasted Native culture once, and we continue to ignore their plight, for the most part. The comments about political correctness, from some other reviewers is simply guilt carried over for generations.

Well acted and keeps you interested. But...unoriginal, predictable, and unrealistic.

It is literally what the opposite of a any man in this planet should be. The depiction of a useless, frail human being with a manhood attached to it. It is so bad that is infuriating. Period.

This movie was a true joy to watch. The acting was incredible along with the cinematography. A true western masterpiece. This is a must watch.

Weak story weak actors .... weak all just wasting time

I highly recommend this movie. It is a visual treat and an homage to art film with long framed shots against spectacular backdrops. I believe it was filmed in Oklahoma. This isn't your regular nomadic cowboy feature. You can expect shootout, cowboys, epic music, and majestic horses. However the heart of the story will have you holding back tears. Graham Phillips delivered an important performance in his rising career which will without a doubt get him noticed as a leading man. The plot is gritty yet portrayed with true heart. Characters are well written allowing ebb and flow in their delivery. It didnt feel like any character was secondary to the plot. Even though they don't get a lot of screen time together, The contrast of character delivery between both Phillips's protagonist and Shawn Hatosy's antagonist is felt throughout the movie heightening the tension. Kip's (Phillips) warmth is the perfect balance to Paris's (Hatosy) darkness. The use of light and frame perspective definitely had me running to my camera as it ignited my passions for art cinema. There is a line in the movie where Kip (Phillips) claims he is a sucker for Westerns. Considering he co-wrote and co-directed the movie, he definitely delivered his passion through the lens.

There are so many issues with this movie. I wish I had my time back. How do you stick a knife in the side of tire on a moving car. Impossible Waniya only called the police once? she had plenty of chances Unrealistic. The ol' stick a chair behind a door trick that doesn't actually work to stop a door from opening unless there's a block secured to the floor. These are just a few of the issues with this movie. It's not a good flick by any means.

So, according to Netflix, fracking is the villain here. Not human trafficking, the usual movie "buzz". Totally predictable by Hollywood standards. If you're from ND or even remotely know anything about it, you know that Cavalier County is about a half days drive, at 80mph from the nearest oil well. There's no such place as "South Falls, ND" and our zip codes all start with a "58". Typical Hollywood garbage. I would have thought Michael Moore wrote the script, except that I don't remember "fracking" being mentioned even once.