Review of Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013) by Nathan M — 17 Dec 2013

A moody and deliberately paced thriller that will pay off heavily for the patient viewer.

The Good: The Structure - Lowery's film features a loose narrative structure, which is disorienting at first, but once you get in time with the rhythm, the pacing elevates it to another level. By slowly revealing key facts to the plot, Lowery is able to maintain the interest of the audience over its deliberate pace.

The performances - The three stars, Mara, Affleck, and Foster, overwhelm with their restrained performances. It would have been easy to overact in a film that deals with issues this outlandish, but the entire cast is able to bring a level of humanity to the story that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Tragic romance - What works best here is the sense of despair and tragedy that permeates the film. From Lowery's screenplay to his direction to the performances on screen, everything works together to pit these characters against desperate circumstances, and make us want it to all work out, even though we know it won't.

Poetry on Film - From the dialogue to the, near, poetic structure of the film to the visuals on screen, Ain't Them Bodies Saints feels more like a work of poetry than a narrative. And just like good poetry exposition is handled in a way that doesn't feel boring, and emotions are conveyed artistically rather than simply stated. All of this works to craft a more intense emotional experience.

The Bad: Not much bad to talk about here.

The Smugly (Movie snob nitpicks): No tension - For a thriller, or simply a drama about an escaped convict, there was no tension in the film. It was beautiful, it was dramatic, but there wasn't much tension. Even in the scenes where I knew Lowery was trying to make me hold my breath, it didn't work. This, of course, doesn't ruin the film, but it would have been even better had this been possible.