Colby Cutler (Brendan Gleeson) is the king of the travelers – he reigns over a small trailer enclave and the thieves who live there. They’re constantly suspected by the local police, who are usually right to suspect them. That doesn’t stop them from pulling stupid shit – they are bold and brave and not too smart. And they mostly get away with what they do, except that Colby’s got one son in prison and he seems ready to lose another to the system as well.
Chad Cutler (Michael Fassbender) is not as pleased with his father’s way of life. He sends his kids to school, a luxury he was never afforded. But as long as he’s living among his father’s little gang (and his father’s enormous shadow), he’s stuck. Saving his own son from a similar fate would mean trespassing against his father and the clan, and they’re not about to let him go easily.
Michael Fassbender is excellent. We see him pulled in so many directions – husband, father, son – all seemingly opposing. And as an uneducated man, he is in fact most skilled at being a thief. What kind of life lies for him beyond that? Brendan Gleeson, on the other hand, manages to straddle the paternal with the more menacing. He’s also got a religious streak that seems to elevate him within the clan to Father status with a big F. It’s an awful lot of fun to see these two share screen time together, even if I could have used some subtitles to make sense of their strong accents and impermeable slang.
In his directorial debut, Adam Smith doesn’t rely much on plot. The tensions between father and son escalate but don’t necessarily drive the film forward, because the feeling of Chad’s being paralyzed for lack of options is pervasive. His father’s expectations feel heavy. The movie comes up a little light in terms of this drama, but the action is loaded with fun at full-tilt.
ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES 
You’re a genius assessor!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You had me with Brendan Gleeson and Michael Fassbender! Even with a plot that’s somewhat lacking, I’d definitely like to see this.💁🏻
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, they are great separately but it’s fun when they’re together.
They’re apparently also playing father-son in Assassin’s Creed (which is less my thing).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just watched a trailer for AC and it looks interesting!😊
LikeLike
Michael Fassbender is a very talented actor, I also recognize Brendan Gleeson as someone who plays many different genres. I think he can display a sense of humor. 🙂 I actually am glad it is being played out in a lighter toned movie. Father-son relationships are fascinating and meaningful. We see more mother-daughter movies. Thank you for your suggestion that it would be even better if it took it more seriously.
LikeLike
I’d like to see this one – I’m a sucker for Brendan Gleeson movies. Even when they’re not exactly great, you can’t go wrong with the warmth the big man brings to the screen. A great chap.
LikeLike
He is. Even when he’s playing scum there’s always a tiny piece that’s lovable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gleeson has a reputation for chewing the scenery, which he can do when it’s called for, but he can also be very subtle and thoughtful. Seeing him with Fassbender and getting a look at the world of travelers sounds like a wonderful study that doesn’t need much plot.
LikeLike
It doesn’t have an American release date yet but will be out in the UK March 3 2017. Hopefully with a North American date soon to follow.
LikeLike
Gleeson and The Fass? What’s not to love? I’m really looking forward to this one.
LikeLike
Well it sounds even cooler when you put it like that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The trailer
LikeLike
And this is where I’d turn on the captions. Did you know they have showings with the captions on? (I ended up seeing WALL E that way.)
LikeLike
Pingback: ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIESTIFF 2016