Sundown

source: Sundown

Gentle ocean waves, fresh seafood, fancy cocktails, the company of loved ones, and a luxurious Acapulco resort are not sufficient to snap Neil out of a deep reverie. When the death of his mother-in-law in England causes the family to quickly depart for the airport, Neil does something inexplicable. He mumbles something about forgetting his passport, insists that his wife and children go on ahead, checks into a cheap hotel, ignores calls from home, meets a local girl, and starts pounding the cervezas. Neil is careless, oblivious, and resigned to a mysterious fate. Sundown is an enthralling slow-burn. The film deftly shifts its focus from behind the walls of the resort to wild pigs rooting for scraps on the beach and a murder on the rougher side of town, as the story follows Neil in his baffling mental state. Tim Roth (Neil) is perfect for the role, and he is ably supported by Charlotte Gainsbourg and others.

Sundown is a film that I find difficult to explain why I enjoyed it. It's definitely not for everyone, but I was pleasantly surprised since I expected it to be more on the pretentious art film side of the spectrum. I didn't know anything about the main character at the beginning of the film, and slowly discovering more about him over the course of the film was really interesting. The pacing is consistent, although for some it may be a bit too slow, with entire scenes that have no dialogue. I personally thought this made it feel more authentic, as there were no forced conversations for the sake of drama. It's very much a drama, but there was an element of mystery there. In the beginning, I didn't understand the motivations of Roth's character, I didn't understand the full scope of what they were going through. Piecing it all together as the film progressed was very rewarding, and the ending gave more closure than I was expecting (movies like this tend to end abruptly). It's a 7.5/10 for me. I wouldn't recommend it to those that like plot heavy movies or dislike character studies, but I enjoyed it far more than I was expecting.

Well there is way more to it than that. And hopefully you either let my Blockbuster stinger slide by (if you recognized it) or do not care or compare it to Spiderman or anything like that. Because this is as far removed from anything remotely in that big budget category. But if you see the movie, you will get the pun. Having said that, this drama we have right here is really good. I had no idea what this would be. One of the main reasons was because I watched it at a sneak preview. The other would have been that I don't read about movies I am about to watch anyway. And I was lucky enough to not have to sit through a trailer. So the beginning of the movie had me guessing as to where this would lead. A family drama? A personal drama? Who is the main character in this? It seems to be one person and than we kind of find out it is another. And as subtle as that shift in focus is - the pace will not change. So if you do not like how this evolves, if you want to call it that, you can figure that out in the first 10 minutes. Anyone else who sticks with it ... will get a slow burn! No pun intended! And a human that might be relatable to you - depending on how you view the world. Considering what we are about to find out, some will envy him, but at the same time also be happy not to be him. A strange mix, I know - but one that is apt. Actions also speak louder than words. So while he is saying one thing, he clearly is doing something different. What is his motivation, if any you ask? Well the movie will let you figure that one out yourself. Still it is tough to convey certain things. Or have the movie delier all the answers. The ever so great Tim Roth (who looks great and plays even greater) is as minimal as he can be. Some may feel he is without feelings - but yet there lies passion in him. But minimalistic - he does not seem to care about most things ... which is something that is coming in handy towards the end ... a weird movie that seems to have few to no conflict ... and yet is able to deliver on tension and us wondering what is up next ... and why!

MOVIE REVIEW Sundown R - 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Drama Year Released: 2021 Runtime: 1h 22m Director: Michel Franco Writer: Michel Franco Cast: Tim Roth, Iazua Larios, Charlotte Gainsbourg Where To Watch: Available to rent on all major VOD apps I like sharing the official IMDb synopsis whenever reviewing films; I do this because it always intrigues me at the disconnect between the significance of the film itself and the given outline. I'm sure some of that is intentional to avoid spoilers which, as you know, I appreciate! In the case of this film, it may have one of the best examples of a spoiler-free synopsis I've seen. "Neil and Alice Bennett are the core of a wealthy family on vacation in Mexico until a distant emergency cuts their trip short. When one relative disrupts the family's tight-knit order, simmering tensions rise to the fore." While only having a 6.6 rating on IMDb, I think this was a fantastic film with one of Tim Roth's ("Pulp Fiction," "Planet of the Apes") best performances in recent memory. However, Iazua Larios ("Apocalypto") stole the show. She has such a level of realism to her character on screen that I was wholly sold every time she was on screen. Her interactions with Roth were felt so legitimate that you could get lost in their performances, which made the entire film a delight. As per my usual attempts, I hadn't seen a trailer for this; all I knew about it was the poster. I prefer it that way as much as possible. In this case, it let me experience the film from a 100% unbiased perspective. I didn't even know who was in the cast until I saw them on screen; if you've read any of my reviews in the past, you'll know that I try to avoid trailers because I've had too many films spoiled for me unintentionally. Sometimes trailers give things away that ruin some of the most impactful moments in the movie. Clocking in at just an hour and twenty minutes, this film packs a lot into its runtime. The plot is simple, but the story is more profound in reality. It's not a love story; it's not an action film, it's not a slow burn, but yet somehow, it's all of those and more. A well-written script is a powerful tool, and this film is a shining example. While I haven't seen any of director Michel Franco's other films, I'm more than curious now; he directed this and wrote it. I know that not every movie can be nominated for an Oscar, but it bums me when great performances and fantastic direction are overlooked. This just proves why I do the Oscar Death Race each year, I love seeing all of the nominated films, but there's so much more to it. That's just where I start, then I widen my search from there and thankfully end up with so many lesser-known gems like this one. For more reviews and my YouTube channel, please visit linktr.ee/Overlyhonestmoviereviews Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Find my social media accounts on most platforms simply by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews. I'm always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about all things movies. #timoth #bleeckerstreet #sundown #cinema #pulpfiction #movie #tarantino #film #movies #tarantinofilms #hollywood #pumpkin.

I can totally relate to Neil. He just wants to hang out at the beach and have sex! Doesn't want to go back to his horrible life in London. The reason why is at the end of the movie!

Most viewers apparently missed an important plot point. He was diagnosed with a tumor in his frontal lobe. Such tumors can cause changes to executive functioning, decision-making, personality, memory processing, emotion and impulse control, and understanding social situations and behaving appropriately. Viewers obviously know his 'pig hallucinations' are due to his brain cancer, but many don't make the connection to the actual behavior of the main character. Under this lens, the character isn't just someone that is dying and just says "screw it and everyone else" (which just makes him into a devolving sociopath). I hope those that missed this perspective can go back and see how he acts and reacts in the situations he is experiencing. Profound film experience.

The story is quite confusing, as things are not explained at all. We have to guess who is who, what is happening, etc. Things only become slightly clearer at the end, but there are still a lot of questions.

I kept trying to get interested in the plot but it was just so boring. He was a real weirdo and so was his sister. I am so thankful that I could fast forward through the movie because it was so BORING. I really like Tim Roth and I am shocked he agreed to act in this piece of crap script/movie. One of the worst movies I have ever watched or tried to watch.

Neil (Tim Roth) rejects his family inheritance because the business is pig slaughtering. What happens to Alice (Neil Sister) is karma. Toward the end you were at the family has accumulated billions of dollars as a result of pig slaughtering. It appears that Neil Bennet (Tim Roth) wants nothing to do with that and has an hallucination about slaughtering pigs. That's why he has nothing to do with running a family business and stay chilled out in Acapulco. It's also a movie about karma and animal rights. Neil's sister, gets assassinated on her quest to keep the business of pig slaughtering.