Shotgun Stories

SHOTGUN STORIES begins with cinematic music in an un-cinematic setting. Sure, there are striking images throughout, and occasional lingering upon images to provide a sense of place, but for the most part, SHOTGUN STORIES is not a cinematic film. I should say, it does not call to attention that it is a portion of the cinema. Only its music does this, coming in between scenes, and then fading away to let the action happen. The film, made on a shoestring budget, concerns two groups of feuding sons of the same father. This father was a drunk, and married a "hateful woman." With her he had three sons whom he named: Son, Kid, and Boy. Then, he walked out on them. Apparently though, the father cleaned up his act, remarried and had a second group of sons who only share the last name Hayes with the neglected sons. Son Hayes (Michael Shannon) is the rock of his side of the family, looking after Kid and Boy, both of whom don't do much except drink beer on porches, sit by the river, and watch life go by. What's interesting here is that although the second group of sons had a steady-going father, they are no less trashy than the first set. When the father dies, and Son talks hatefully of him at the funeral, the hatred that has been welling up in the neglected sons' heads comes out, and the second set of sons fight back for their fathers memory. From that point onward, there is a feud. It's ugly and realistic in the way it unfolds. What makes SHOTGUN STORIES so great though, is not its striking imagery, storyline, budget woes, or music, but the way the actors work. Everyone is so matter-of-fact and in-urgent despite the presence of urgency that we see the way a group of people act, and why.
Shotgun Stories: ★★★1/2