MovieChat Forums > Cold in July (2014) Discussion > a bit 'all over the place'

a bit 'all over the place'

posted 8 years ago by wlee08
3 replies | jump to latest

Was the writing a bit sloppy? The storyline a bit rushed? Who were these people? Why does a small-town framer, averse to violence, leave his family and risk his life by following two very shady characters (a pig-farmer detective?) into a gunfight? I can understand that he wants to know the id of the burglar he killed, but how does helping the father locate his son help in this regard? Did we ever find out why the police wanted to kill the father? idk, just seemed like they threw a bunch of characters together and expected us to go along with their ill-defined goals. Also, The way they found the videotape - a random car accident followed by a random opening of the trunk - was not convincing as a means of changing the direction of the storyline. It felt rushed and contrived. I liked the feel of the movie but couldnt connect to the story.

[–] yan-trussart 8 years ago

That's a nice way of putting it...

[–] jehather 8 years ago

Yeah, I agree.

First I thought it was going to be a face-off with that guy out on parole, then it changes directions with the cops being shady and somehow this is initiated through discovering a Want poster beneath other Want posters, then he proves to the ex-con he didn't shoot his son, they become buddies, now he wants to meet his son...yawn...and instead of waiting to kill one person they risk it all by taking out the whole gang (a kind of unjust justification). Dane goes from accidentally killing a guy to willingly entering a gunfight by the end. The whole thing seemed pointless.

[–] AenimaOrchid 8 years ago

Clearly he was sick of being thought of as a walkover. That guy who entered his shop even said, "I would never have thought you had it in you."