Review: Utterly Convincing
[Read full review with spoilers below this excerpt]
Ms Monaghan is utterly convincing as the independent woman, living a solitary life, almost devoid of joy. You feel her fierceness, confusion, and struggles. Jimmy Bennett is wonderful as the son who is lost and lonely without his father.
I went to see the film because of Nathan Fillion. I’d watch him read the phone book. His Runner is sweet, charming, and funny but as damaged as Diane, existing without much hope. There’s one scene that’s priceless. No other leading man would do what Mr. Fillion does.
The cinematography adds to the loneliness of the characters. It’s harshly bright, dusty, and dry almost everywhere and all the time. The landscape and built environment lacks any real beauty.
The story moves like typical day after day living. There’s one very emotional scene that doesn’t quite fit for me, but not enough to spoil the whole flow.
Overall, I enjoyed the film and it’s kept me thinking about Diane since I left the theater.
– Anonymous contribution
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Full Review - WARNING: Contains Spoilers
“Trucker” starring Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Fillion, and Jimmy Bennett premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival Thursday night, April 24. First time writer-director James Mottern introduced the film and some of the cast to an enthusiastic crowd and family, friends, distributors and even some film buffs.
Ms. Monaghan plays a long-haul trucker, Diane Ford. She’s on the road for weeks at a time and then comes home only to collapse, regroup and hit the road again. The one bright spot in her life is her married friend and drinking buddy, Runner, played by Nathan Fillion. They have an unspoken attraction that’s the only exciting thing is their drab, uneventful lives. They’re both drifting and directionless.
After a night of drinking and dancing, Diane returns home to find her ex-husband’s lover has arrived with Diane’s estranged son, Peter in tow. Circumstances have delivered the boy she deserted eleven years ago to her reluctant care. How their relationship develops is the journey of the story.
She married and gave birth while very young and couldn’t cope. Her ex-husband is played by Benjamin Bratt and is a nice guy, trying his best to raise his son. Peter doesn’t want to be with his mother and is understandably angry and hostile to her.
Diane is hard as nails but she has a latent maternal instinct brought out more by Runner than her son. It’s natural that Runner and Peter bond pretty quickly and become almost interchangeable in Diane’s feelings. She doesn’t know how to open her heart to either one of them but protects them nonetheless. It’s the crack in the façade of toughness.
Ms Monaghan is utterly convincing as the independent woman, living a solitary life, almost devoid of joy. You feel her fierceness, confusion, and struggles. Jimmy Bennett is wonderful as the son who is lost and lonely without his father.
I went to see the film because of Nathan Fillion. I’d watch him read the phone book. His Runner is sweet, charming, and funny but as damaged as Diane, existing without much hope. There’s one scene that’s priceless. No other leading man would do what Mr. Fillion does.
The cinematography adds to the loneliness of the characters. It’s harshly bright, dusty, and dry almost everywhere and all the time. The landscape and built environment lacks any real beauty.
The story moves like typical day after day living. There’s one very emotional scene that doesn’t quite fit for me, but not enough to spoil the whole flow.
Overall, I enjoyed the film and it’s kept me thinking about Diane since I left the theater.
– Anonymous contribution