Review of The Retrieval (2013) by Mike H — 16 Apr 2014

"The Retrieval" starts in Virgnia in 1864 with young Will(Ashton Sanders) seeking shelter at a station on the Underground Railroad which turns out to actually be a ruse for Burrell(Bill Oberst Jr.), a bounty hunter he works for, to recapture escaped slaves. That night Will and his partner Marcus(Keston John) enjoy the profits of their labor. But not for long, as Burrell has another job for them in locating and returning Nate(Tishuan Scott), another escaped slave, with the threat of death hanging over them if they do not succeed.

"The Retrieval" is a suspenseful and unpredictable period piece. As far as history goes, it conveys that also in naturalistic tones of an era where it is much more about survival than judgment for the characters. The nuanced tone leads to a movie where less is more, not only as far as dialogue is concerned, especially in its exquisite opening sequence. In any case, it is a little difficult to carve out some of the backstories amongst the deceptions and lies. At the center of which is Will seeking his lost father amongst surrogates at a personal and moral crossroads while the United States is at its own crossroads.