By Michael Colford
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Ethan Hawke
Country: united_states
Year: 2018
Running time: 127
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6443294/reference
Chris says: “An unconventional biopic (mostly because it’s about someone you’ve never heard of), it features a trio of notable performances, one expected (Alia Shawkat, more impressive with each role she appears in) and one unexpected (musician Charlie Sexton is pretty great as Townes Van Zandt.) Then, there’s first-time actor Ben Dickey as the title figure, a 1980s larger-than-life Texan ‘outlaw country’ singer/songwriter who never found fame and was murdered before he turned 40. He’s genuine and engaging in a way that’s hard to fake: a better-known, more seasoned actor might’ve been technically better, but not as interesting to watch. I still prefer Ethan Hawke’s acting to his directing (this could’ve easily been a half-hour shorter), but his enthusiasm and sincerity proves a decent fit for this kind of shaggy, elegiac story. 3 cats“