The resilience of a father is subjected to many issues in Tom McCarthy‘s Stillwater. At first, things seem pretty simple. This is an Oklahoma working class man who puts everything aside to head over to France to support his daughter. You can see he’s damaged inside. Years and years of supporting what’s left of his household and now he’s gotta face a father’s worst concern: seeing his little one waste away her life in jail. She claims to be harmless and he believes her above anything. When there’s an opportunity for launch (and salvation), he blindly considers it. Bill Baker’s so deep inside his agenda, he alters his life to show his daughter harmless.
This is when Stillwater enters its dramatic and sober territory, one which doesn’t admit the distant concept that it’s all for naught. Because the plot lets you have a few concepts: what if she’s truly harmless? Who’s the killer within the homicide thriller? How far is Bill keen to go to show it? In each situation, he’s proper. He’s preventing for one thing he believes to make sure and all of it entails his daughter being launched as a sufferer. However, the key in Stillwater is darker than you possibly can think about. It doesn’t even matter if she did it or not. What issues now’s how a father will do all the things attainable to make us consider he’s proper.
McCarthy’s movie is led by an unbelievably versatile Matt Damon within the function of Baker. His efficiency is impeccable. There aren’t any excesses or melodramatic turns that might flip his character into a group of prospects. Damon forces us to consider in a person’s precedence to guard his daughter over anything. But he doesn’t do it with explosive tones and even adjustments in his perspective. His physicality interprets to a coldness that’s essential to consider in his mission.
Stillwater is pure drama that turns into against the law thriller due to a robust trigger that Baker turns into a way of life and he won’t ever cease making an attempt to attain his purpose to show his daughter harmless. It’s why the movie’s ending feels invasive, poignant and even unsettling. When he discovers the entire reality in regards to the case, he understands the ethical downturn is his and his solely. The remainder of them have simply made errors, unwilling and virtually involuntary. Baker’s the one one with many demons in his head that can by no means ever depart him.
This is Matt Damon‘s greatest efficiency within the final 10 years.
Founder of Screentology. Member of the OFCS. RT Certified Critic
Dog dad.