A trio of neglected lower-class brothers, raised in southern Arkansas, has been taught by their embittered mother to hate their father’s four other sons, who were brought up in comfort and security. Living as adults and relative strangers in the same small town, both sets of brothers are drawn into conflict after their father’s funeral. Both the peaceful and the guilty are dragged into the tragedy – a vengeful give-and-take that doesn’t seem likely to end.

This is the feature debut of writer/director Jeff Nichols – an Arkansas native - and if it’s a harbinger of things to come, Nichols’ career will be worth tracking. Tautly calm, with hints of Flannery O’Connor, Shakespeare, and Cormac McCarthy, the tale moves smoothly and subtly toward the inevitable, never once tipping toward sappily suggesting that the boys are all brothers and should just get along. The dialogue is real and often funny, and the cast, led by the craggily rugged Michael Shannon, is simultaneously understated and inspired.

Because the father’s funeral sparks the story, his specter hovers hazily over the story – though absent, the ambiguity of his character is palpable in nearly every word, decision, action, and conversation. Each man is innately aware of “what has to be done”, not only to protect his family but also to quench his thirst to prove something to his father who, whether through his presence or absence, love or neglect, has taught him how to see the world.

Shotgun Stories is a tale about familial duty, bitterness, and hatred. It’s clear that revenge cannot satisfy the hurts of the past, but the film holds out hope that while old wounds are never fully healed, those who are enemies can still learn to live in peace.

	Topic: Movies & TV, Reviews		Email a friend
	Keywords: feud, Jeff Nichols, Michael Shannon, Shotgun Stories		RSS 2.0
	Both comments and pings are currently closed.		Share this: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.