SYNOPSICS
Thunder Road (2018) is a English movie. Jim Cummings has directed this movie. Jim Cummings,Kendal Farr,Nican Robinson,Jocelyn DeBoer are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2018. Thunder Road (2018) is considered one of the best Comedy,Drama movie in India and around the world.
Jim Arnaud, a police officer in a Texas town, always tries to do the right thing, but he has more often than not done the wrong thing resulting in having a less than perfect life. He often tries to plan his actions whenever he can, but his impetuous nature and hot-temperedness often makes him do something else he didn't plan, while he also does not have the best gauge of what is socially acceptable or what is standard social convention. In that imperfect life, he didn't have the best relationship with his dancer/dance teacher mother, as didn't his two siblings. He and his wife Ros have been separated for a year now on her initiative, which has resulted in him only seeing their now nine year old daughter Crystal on the weekends. And many of his fellow officers only tolerate him, including the police chief, with his married partner, Nate Lewis, looking out for him as much as he can do so. Two events have the potential to unravel Jim's life even further. First, his mother passes away. He...
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Thunder Road (2018) Reviews
Is Jim Cummings the next can do it all rising star???
Saw this a Hell's Half Mile Film fest in Bay City, Michigan and Jim Cummings wrote, directed and gave a stunning lead performance in this festival gem, which I believe is his first full feature after bouncing around doing short films and a little TV work. He has the acting chops to pull off his own written vision of this unstable police officer who can slip from calm, deranged and sorrowful multiple times within one scene. Impressive for he must do this most if not all of this 90 minute film carrying off this complicated character through losing his mother, wife in divorce, his job and every thing he holds dear as he sinks into despair. I hope this propels his movie making skills to new wide release films in the future.
This is why independent film exists.
If you have read the other reviews, then you will know that this movie is being judged for all the wrong reasons. Jim Cummings put his heart and soul into this film and because it is listed as a comedy and a drama, some have decided to deride this film because of it. It is what most would call a Black Comedy. I saw the official trailer for it, and anyone that saw the trailer would know that this is more drama/tragedy with dark comedic elements, but there are pedants here in internet land that wish to harp on about this film not being properly categorized. Get over it and watch the movie, because it is brilliant! If you have ever experienced loss, then you will connect to the main character's myriad emotions. Jim Cummings does an excellent job as the beleaguered protagonist, and the film moves along at a stride that fits his circumstance, culminating in a third act that is a bit surprising, but fitting. I also loved Macon Blair (Blue Ruin), as Crystal's teacher. Independent films are not for everybody, and many of them are poorly executed, cast, or directed, but Thunder Road is the reason why I watch them, because, otherwise, all we would be presented with are big studio, unoriginal bombastic gunfight and explosion filled sensory overload. I like those movies too, but sometimes, it is a treasure to see a finely crafted and emotional character study.
Unexpected excellence.
A wonderful film that I certainly wouldn't say is a comedy. The film's moving as it's devoted to the human will, what it can endure, what it can overcome in the most dire of circumstances when need be. I feel as though it's a testament to the human experience. Life can hit you hard, over and over again, and you have to get back up, that's the message I gleaned. Cummings portrays his character with masterful skill, at no point did I think I was watching a film, I was all in and I truly hope we see more of him. This is a story of hope even though at times it is hard to see it.
Shouldn't work. Does.
It's not often I enjoy a film with such constant tonal shifts throughout, but I did with this one. The film essentially made me laugh, made me emotive and made me think - which is all a viewer can ask for really. Right from the extraordinary opening monologue, the film grabs the viewer and reels you into the heady mix of comedy and tragedy. Some are going to hate this movie because of that. There are moments of black comedy placed into scenes of real drama - which shouldn't really work. But it does. For me at least. The focus is on single parenting, life, stress, happiness, anxiety, mental health, love. Jim Cummings wrote, directed and starred in it - and you can tell he totally believed in this project by the performance he puts in. Although he can possibly be accused of overracting at times, he is quite brilliant at others. There are some flawed moments - some real "wtf" scenes with a potential dealbreaking third act. The placement of comedy is the talking point in many places. But overall I would recommend this movie for those who are suckers for an indie dramedy. 7.5 / 10.
Competent effort
As somebody from the U.K. critiquing a US drama it is a difficult job, especially when nuances, way of life and local daily life is so difficult to encapsulate for somebody who does not live and breathe life in a certain country, state or even town. Again, whilst I found Jim an anomaly of a character, somebody I do not recognise in the U.K. per se, I embrace that this could be normal in small town America. I did not dislike it, in fact the acting and pathos ran well with a viewers affection for the main cast and I always welcome a film that feels strong enough to omit (sometimes annoying) background music. That said, anything named after a song by the 'Peoples Poet' and one of my all time favourite songs I would like some reference to it and perhaps for it to be a backdrop to the film. Now I could be missing a trick here that the song was never played for a deeper meaning, but it would have served the film better, in my opinion, if this was a haunting backdrop to the crises being played out. When all said and done, a solid effort that improved as it progressed.