Rossif Sutherland plays John Lake, a hyper-deptermined do-gooder with boundary issues. This is a gritty, fast paced film which totally focuses on one desperate man running for his life & liberty.
The use of hand-held cameras through-out provides that up close and personal pespective that kept me watching, although I did not really like the character. But I wanted to see how things unfolded for him.
He's asked to take time off from grueling surgery in a gritty clinic, in what feels like a slum due to not following the Chief Surgeon's directives. Even his room is spare & dingy. He is then shown taking a sweaty, long, dust filled trip to an island retreat with very basic amenities.
He is super stresed out, trying to relax in a bare-bones hut, by reading in a hammock or drinking in the local bar.
There are 2 Australian men who he is clearly bothered by as they ply 2 local women with alcohol.
As he walks back to his hut, drunk & stumbling he comes upon a disturbing scene with one of the Aussies, and much of his supressed anger surfaces and things go awry.
He passes out in his room, and in the morning realises he has lost his wallet. Now he is in complete panic mode and begins to run. The police are looking for a suspect and he knows he won't get a fair trial.
The use of the name River for this movie is intriging, as it is always a calm river despite the main character being totally out of control.
His environment is grueling, there is always something to be overcome with great physical effort. His emotions are intense from the beginning, while his personal sense of humility jars with his irrational behavior. I find myself asking how it is that he ended up in Laos with such fragmented intensity. It's as if he has PTSD. This is the one missing peice for me.
The scenery in Thailand is lush and methodical vs the chaos & poverty of Laos. Even the busy traffic is contained and orderly. The prison looks like a peaceful spa. Finally there is a rhythym of harmony. We see him at a distance washing his clothes, vs the up close, shaky, dusty, shoots of the entire film up until the last 15 minutes.
Finally we arrive at the airport scene where he is surrounded by monks in orange robes. We finally see him at peace with himself and his ultimate sacrifice to achieve good, in a world gone mad. I sense that he finally made peace with himself. He just needed to save someone & finally he found the missing piece to his personal puzzle.
The use of hand-held cameras through-out provides that up close and personal pespective that kept me watching, although I did not really like the character. But I wanted to see how things unfolded for him.
He's asked to take time off from grueling surgery in a gritty clinic, in what feels like a slum due to not following the Chief Surgeon's directives. Even his room is spare & dingy. He is then shown taking a sweaty, long, dust filled trip to an island retreat with very basic amenities.
He is super stresed out, trying to relax in a bare-bones hut, by reading in a hammock or drinking in the local bar.
There are 2 Australian men who he is clearly bothered by as they ply 2 local women with alcohol.
As he walks back to his hut, drunk & stumbling he comes upon a disturbing scene with one of the Aussies, and much of his supressed anger surfaces and things go awry.
He passes out in his room, and in the morning realises he has lost his wallet. Now he is in complete panic mode and begins to run. The police are looking for a suspect and he knows he won't get a fair trial.
The use of the name River for this movie is intriging, as it is always a calm river despite the main character being totally out of control.
His environment is grueling, there is always something to be overcome with great physical effort. His emotions are intense from the beginning, while his personal sense of humility jars with his irrational behavior. I find myself asking how it is that he ended up in Laos with such fragmented intensity. It's as if he has PTSD. This is the one missing peice for me.
The scenery in Thailand is lush and methodical vs the chaos & poverty of Laos. Even the busy traffic is contained and orderly. The prison looks like a peaceful spa. Finally there is a rhythym of harmony. We see him at a distance washing his clothes, vs the up close, shaky, dusty, shoots of the entire film up until the last 15 minutes.
Finally we arrive at the airport scene where he is surrounded by monks in orange robes. We finally see him at peace with himself and his ultimate sacrifice to achieve good, in a world gone mad. I sense that he finally made peace with himself. He just needed to save someone & finally he found the missing piece to his personal puzzle.