By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats | 4.4
Director: Bridget Savage Cole | Danielle Krudy
Starring: June Squibb | Margot Martindale | Morgan Saylor | Sophie Lowe
Country: united_states
Year: 2020
Running time: 91
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8299768/reference
Michael says: “It’s often a little dicey to expect much from a regional film, especially one set in coastal Maine, rife with strong accents and the potential for caricature. Writer/director team of Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy know what they’re doing though, by starting with a taut, powerful screenplay, then directing a large cast in a very particular place with knowledge and wit. BLOW THE MAN DOWN played the festival circuit, and was nominated for a bunch of screenplay awards, including Best First Screenplay at the Indie Spirits, and winning the Best Screenplay Awards at Tribeca. At once, it’s an examination of life in a tiny fishing village, a reflection on the love/hate sister relationship, a story of violence and murder, and a feminist power struggle.
“Sisters Priscilla and Mary Beth host their mother’s funeral party after spending a year of their lives struggling with her cancer, and now on the verge of being flat broke and losing their home. Priscilla, older, more level-headed, is trying to keep things together, working hard at the family fish market. Younger, impetuous Mary Beth postponed attending college for a year and wants nothing else but to get out of Easter Cove. Mary Beth seems the type of young woman who is up for anything and attracted to bad boys, so when she meets Gorski while drinking at a bar on the night of her mother’s funeral, she’s up for something to take her mind off her misery. One thing leads to another, and suddenly there’s a corpse to deal with. Good thing Priscilla is always ready to quietly take charge.
“While the sisters deal with their situation with the shaky carelessness that anyone who watches Forensic Files knows would lead to their discovery, a body turns up in the harbor that unearths a whole new mystery. There’s a lot going on in this sparkling fishing town, and the cast of characters swells to tell its tale that springs from a violent past to an uneasy power struggle among… wait for it… the senior women who effectively and quietly run the town. There’s Enid, who runs the Oceanview Motel, which is really just the local brothel, to keep the randy, raucous fisherman from pillaging the innocent daughters of the village. Alexis is one of Enid’s girls, tough and coarse, but starting to worry that the life she has found herself in isn’t necessarily a wife one. A jovially corrupt senior police officer, with his new, young Catholic-boy partner, who might just be a little too smart for his own good. Then there’s the three, elderly ladies, Susie, Gail, and Doreen, who come across as the town busybodies, but who hold the town’s secrets close to their collective down vests and quietly take matters into their own hands when the need arises.
“On one level, you would be forgiven for viewing this as a darker version of an episode of Murder, She Wrote, but the strong performance and nicely constructed screenplay quiet elevate this film to a much higher level without a lot of combat. The village feels authentic, the characters are revealed through their actions, and the storyline has enough diverse yet connected action going on that when it all comes together there’s a great deal of satisfaction. The two sisters are arguably our lead characters, and Sophie Lowe and Morgan Saylor, both with diverse backgrounds in film and television, convey just the right amount of ‘i’ll take care of this’ gumption, and ‘We are so in over our heads’ incompetence that they never seem unrelatable. Margot, Martindale brings her powerful presence to Enid, a character that should draw all the air out of a room when she’s present, and who somehow seems natural strolling around the dirty fishing docks in her full-length mink coat. Our three resident ‘busybodies’ are the core of the film though, and June Squibb, Marceline Hugot, and Anette O’Toole are more than up to the task. Somehow a lot of their presence is made felt while they are offscreen, but ultimately manifests to make the whole story come together. This film was slightly reminiscent of the Chlotrudis Award-winning Icelandic film, WOMAN AT WAR, for its remote locations, quirky humor, and, in the case of this film, the unexpected chorus of rugged fisherman performing a cappella sea shanties in multi-part harmony! Definitely on my eventual long list for nominations. 4 cats”
Julie says: “I really enjoyed this movie and can see why it was nominated for best ensemble cast. On top of that it was a really well made movie. Great cinematography and the story was intriguing. I loved the ending. Really perfect ending in every way. 4.75 cats“