ERRATICALLY DIRECTED & ILLOGICALLY WRITTEN FILM SPOILS GOOD TOPICS
February 5, 2024
I SUPPOSE SCREENWRITER NICK PINKERTON & DIRECTOR SEAN PRICE WILLIAMS WANTED TO MAKE SOME POINTS ABOUT THE DANGER OF BOTH THE WHITE SUPREMACIST TERRORISTS & THE DANGER OF THE ANTIFA TERRORISTS (& WE SAW PLENTY OF THAT FROM THE FORMER ON JAN. 7TH & FROM THE LATTER DURING THE ANTI-POLICE RIOTS OF 2020). AND, WHEN LILLIAN (TALIA RYDER) GETS SEPARATED FROM HER FRIENDS DURING A CLASS TRIP, & ACCIDENTALLY STUMBLES ONTO A WHITE SUPREMACIST RALLY, IT IS INTRIGUING TO SEE HER BECOME ENAMORED WITH THE CHARISMATIC WHITE SUPREMACIST, LAURANCE (SIMON REX). AND THE CALM, SOOTHING TONE THAT MR. REX USES IN THE DELIVERY OF HIS LINES SERVES AS A GOOD CONTRAST TO THE HATEFUL THINGS THAT LAURANCE SAYS (SUCH AS HIS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE "FAGGOTS FROM PHILADELPHIA & NY" & HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAUTIFUL NOVEL, "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" AS "POISON FOOD."). IT WAS ALSO A GOOD IDEA TO DEPICT LAURANCE AS AN ACADEM IC INTELLECTUAL BECAUSE SO MANY WHITE SUPREAMCISTS ACTUALLY HAVE COLLEGE DEGREES & ARE FROM UPPER CLASS BACKGROUNDS (AS WAS THE CASE WITH SO MANY HARD-CORE HITLER SUPPORTERS IN NAZI GERMANY). BUT, WHEN LILLIAN GETS A CHANCE TO ESCAPE FROM LAURANCE, SHE DOESN'T MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE POLICE OR HER FAMILY. INSTEAD, WE JUST SEE HER TAKE LAURANCE'S MONEY TO USE FOR HER OWN BENEFIT & THEN GET INVOLVED IN A SILLY SUBPLOT ABOUT BEING DISCOVERED IN THE STREET BY TWO FILMMAKERS WHO INEXPLICABLY ASK HER TO BE IN THEIR FILM. AND, WHEN THE NEO-NAZIS CATCH UP TO HER, THE FILM TAKES A GRATUITOUSLY VIOLENT TURN, &, ALTHOUGH SHE IS RESCUED BY THE CHARACTER MO, SHE NEVER ASKS HIM TO NOTIFY THE POLICE OR HER FAMILY. AND, WHEN MO & HIS BROTHER AHMED TURN OUT TO BE JUST AS EVIL AS THE NEO-NAZIS, SHE NEVER TELLS HER PARENTS OR THE POLICE. AND, ALTHOUGH YOU SEE HER WITH HER FAMILY AFTER SHE GETS AWAY FROM MO, YOU NEVER GET AN EXPLANATION OF HOW SHE GOT REUNITED WITH THEM AND YOU NEVER SEE THEM QUESTION HER ABOUT WHERE SHE HAS BEEN. AND, WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPEN AT THE END, SHE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO ISN'T HORRIFIED ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED. AND, SINCE SHE HAD AN INDICATION OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TRIED TO TELL SOMEONE. BUT, SINCE SHE IS SO INDIFFERENT TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED , THAT MAKES HER LOOK JUST AS INSENSITIVE AS THE PRO-HAMAS FASCISTS WHO SHOUT "FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA! PALESTINE WILL BE FREE!" WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION TO THE VICTIMS OF HAMAS' OCTOBER 7TH MASSACRE.
