Undertow, the new film from writer/director David Gordon Green, is being released soon on DVD. Overlooked while in theatres (even more indie/arthouse geared ones), Undertow was very much a quiet film that didn’t make much of a splash anywhere, with critics or audiences; it was more of a momentary bubbling and then slow sink to the bottom -- but why? Potentially, the reason why Undertow failed to create more of a buzz for its already heralded young director, is because it’s a very frustrating film that leaves you not quite sure whether you liked it or not.
That’s not to say, however, that it is a bad film by any means. It’s just the kind of film that demands a lot from the audience, and may take multiple viewings to really reveal its significance. In this way, it’s very similar to Gordon Green’s last movie, All the Real Girls, which was a dream-like view of the good, bad, and ugly moments throughout the course of a relationship. Green’s distinctive visual style and attention to minute details greatly elevated a story like All the Real Girls. It was a movie that could afford to sit and wait for a moment to occur which would more fully develop the characters and help the audience connect more with them. But when used to push forward a more normally structured narrative, as displayed in Undertow, Gordon’s style muddles down story and holds back the characters instead of enriching them.
The main story of Undertow centers around two groups of brothers from two generations in the Munn family. The older brothers are John, played by Dermot Mulroney, and Deel, played by Josh Lucas. The two younger brothers (John’s sons) are Tim, played by Devon Alan, and Chris, played by Jamie Bell (whom you may remember from Billy Elliot). From early on we see that John, still mourning the loss of his wife, is having problems keeping tabs on his two difficult sons (one who is constantly sick, and the other who is always in trouble with the law).
It seems at first that when John’s brother Deel is released from prison and stops by to stay at the house for a while that he’ll be able to keep track of the boys. John hopes that they can all catch up and live like a family again. This, of course, is not the case, as the past between the brothers Deel and John is too dark to ignore, and the results of which are eventually tragic.
The cast is made up of actors who are, in their profession, a bit like the characters themselves; they’re not quite cult favorites, but not quite ‘big time’ either. They are all very talented and part of a group of currently mid-level actors who will surely someday be more recognized for their works. With the roles of Kristin Stewart, from Panic Room, and Shiri Appleby, from Swimfan, they are the most high profile group that Gordon has yet had a chance to work with, and he makes good use of all of them.
David Gordon Green is certainly a promising director who knows what he’s doing with a group of actors. He has his own style, and that’s something that should be celebrated in a time when most direction is so formulaic and boring. Undertow just feels like the wrong movie for Green to take on at this point, and doesn’t fit his style in the way you wish it would. It’s ultimately not so much disappointing as it is underwhelming.
