Undertow (April 16/05)

Director David Gordon Green's obsession with the '70s continues with Undertow, a film that actually looks as though it's a product of that decade (even the reel changes look authentic!) There's no mistaking Undertow for anything but a Green movie, thanks to the aforementioned reliance on '70s techniques along with an extremely deliberate pace and several oddball periphery characters.

The movie takes place somewhere in the deep south, where John (Dermot Mulroney) is raising his two sons (played by Jamie Bell and Devon Alan). But when John's long-lost brother, Deel (Josh Lucas), shows up unexpectedly, their simple way of life changes forever.

While Green undeniably paints a vivid picture of life within this small town, the majority of the film just isn't terribly interesting. The film can easily be broken down into two sections - life on the farm and life on the run. Both aren't conventional by any stretch of the imagination, with Green taking his time in exploring the bizarre elements in Southern living.

And while the film sure looks great - cinematographer Tim Orr does a wonderful job of photographing these weird locations - there's not much here to hold our interest.