Big Muddy - Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film

Big Muddy (Canada; 104
min.)

directed by:
Jefferson Moneo
starring:
Nadia Litz; Justin Kelly; Stephen McHattie; James Le Gros; David La Haye

Chris says:
“Saskatchewan neo-noir? Well, if Joel and Ethan Coen can turn Minnesota
into a convincing genre locale, why not set one a few hundred miles
Northwest? Of course, director Jefferson Moneo’s not as proficient as
the Coens were at BLOOD SIMPLE (let alone FARGO), but his ace in the
hole is a good one: a knockout, Faye Dunaway-esque lead turn from Nadia
Litz (who’s best known from THE FIVE SENSES). Resembling a heroine one
might imagine from a Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwood duet, Litz is Martha
Barlow, a single mom raising her teenaged son Andy (Justin Kelly),
procuring cash by robbing men she picks up at bars with the help of a
ne’er-do-well boyfriend. When a meeting with a past lover goes awry,
Martha and Andy are suddenly on the run, taking shelter in the rural
titular town where her estranged father (Stephen McHattie) lives.
Meanwhile, an escaped convict we first meet early in the film
resurfaces and reveals ties with the three main characters.

“BIG MUDDY is occasionally amateurish and often dumb but awfully fun if
you’re a fan of the genre tropes Moneo favors: cartoonish B-movie
opening credits, a soundtrack stuffed with cool obscurities, even a
pretty fantastic freeze-frame action shot near the end. He also makes
good use of real-life, lived-in locales such as a horse racing track, a
thrift store and the sweeping prairie vistas Martha and Andy encounter
on their way to her father’s home. Admittedly, without Litz’s
commanding presence in the foreground (and perhaps McHattie’s as well),
this movie would be a big mess–it’s the type of low-budget indie where
the seams all too often show. But I’d just as soon watch a sequel if
Litz ever wanted to play Martha again. 3
cats

“(BIG MUDDY screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.)”

Big Muddy

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