NateWatchesCoolMovies Victor Nunoz's Coastlines is a nice small town drama with some top players all giving fine work, causing me to wonder why more people haven't heard of it, and how come it didn't get a wider release. In any case, it's low key and really captures the quaint rural vibe of less densely populated areas in the states. The cast is absolutely to die for, consisting mainly of very distinct, frequently garish actors who all play it dead straight and relaxed, which is a huge switch up for most of them. Timothy Olyphant plays Sonny Mann, an ex convict recently released from prison, quietly arriving back to his Florida hometown, and the dregs of the life he left behind. His Pa (the ever awesome Scott Wilson) is conflicted by long simmering resentment, and the love for his son buried just beneath. Sonny reconnects with his best friend Dave Lockhart (Josh Brolin), who has become the town's sheriff in the years gone by. Sparks fly between Dave's wife (Sarah Wynter) and Sonny, creating a rift between the two and illustrating Sonny's unavoidable knack for creating trouble for himself, and those around him. Further tension comes along when the town's local crime lord Fred Vance (William Forsythe at his most genial and sedated) tries to strong-arm Sonny into assisting with nefarious deeds, using his younger brother Eddie (Josh Lucas) to convince him. Even when tragedy strikes and these characters go head to head, it's in the most relaxed, laconic way that permeates southern life. Robert Wisdom has a nice bit, Angela Bettis shows up as a girl with a thing for bad boys, and watch for the late great Daniel Von Bargen as the local Sheriff. This one fits nicely into a niche that leans heavily on small town drama, dips its toes ever so slightly into thriller territory, and is a charming little piece that's worth a look to see these actors on an acting sabbatical.

rsternesq Well, the actors did well. The men are all really easy on the eyes and the women look better than real people ought to. The camera work is pretty good and overall values (filmwise) are more than respectable. The message here is that male bonding trumps love. Well, here's a bit of a news flash. It doesn't work this way. Men can and do love each other in all kinds of ways and some men love women but not in this way. The end is more than an effort to tie up the loose ends. it tries to make a STATEMENT. The statement is wrong. Go watch Wuthering Heights, take two aspirin and watch Coastliners once more. Then it will seem pretty obvious that the old saying isn't "greater love hath no man than to lay down his wife for his friend." I for one understand the lag in releasing this. They should have redone the ending and maybe it wouldn't be so hard to remember the actual quote, "greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friend."

mbodle while characters were stereotypical, i allowed a distance cuz i' ve spent quite a lot of time time in the locations. Moments of recognition weren't validated by level of script, although enjoyable for noir-ish elements, but too-oversimplified and limited. Folks in small towns know everything about each other (Appalachicola/ Carabelle, FL) but this script didn't provide the full sense of community or shared knowledge.There was a broadened sense of family but only in a limited way. Characters were broad and not too realistic. Saw the director's premiere of "Gal Young'un." Without a world-class writer (Rawlings) a possibly-limited was further limiteda. Yet, a simple (overly?) engaging tale with some lovely cinematography. Miami Vice crossed with The Yearling?.\

bad_robot_13 COASTLINES, a Victor Nunez film Timothy Olyphant Josh Brolin Sarah Wynter Angela Bettis(the following contains no plot spoilers, only commentary on performances and general tone)Someone's certifiably insane. Why this movie was never released is inexplicable. It portrays a complex intermingling of the relationship between three people with some close to startling revelations that lead to the ultimate resolve of their feelings.What is not surprising, having seen all of his post and previous work, is Tim Olyphant's flawless portrayal of Sonny Mann. Like his warm honey voice, Tim's seamless performance slides across the screen with a subtle but decidedly dangerous undertow. He plays Sonny quietly with a couple of notable exceptions when that unmistakably sensed volcano just under the surface throughout erupts, yet with an amazing control. It's Tim's control that conveys the feel of Sonny's quiet and determined desperation without skipping a beat and meshes his tentative yet confident tenderness effortlessly into the character. Tim doesn't let you escape knowing, with brilliant understatement at times, that Sonny has some already heavy baggage that gets a brick added to it. Tim is always accomplished at "throwing the looks" with those huge eyes, and being so completely present in any role he assumes that it reaches out, grabs you, draws you into the character, and absent any distraction from other actors draws you into the storyline simultaneously.Credit is also due to Brolin and Wynters for the everyday believability seen in their characters. Angela Bettis's performance also falls neatly into that category, though I kept waiting for her to morph more completely into Juliette Lewis, but haven't bothered to figure out quite why that is yet - though it's probably a flashback to Lewis's character in Kalifornia.The friendship between Sonny and Dave and his wife, Ann, is at first heartwarming but rapidly becomes disturbingly uncomfortable and tense, and oddly enough more so to the viewer than to the characters when the movie ends with a tentative resolve.The almost too evenly paced plot is coherently interrupted five times, which is enough to save it from flatness; three times by physicals events involving Olyphant's character, and twice by dialog between Brolin and Wynter. The interesting thing is that the dialog shockers are at least as effective as the physical ones, and if Brolin's last deceivingly quietly delivered zinger in the storyline doesn't make you jump then you're in an alternate universe, or at the very least have the volume turned off.The examined dynamics of love and friendship alone make this a worthwhile view. Then there's Tim Olyphant - more icing than any cake can handle.