leonblackwood Review: I quite enjoyed this movie, because there is so many twists and turns from the get go, and the cast was quite impressive. Its based around a loving couple, Dwayne McLaren (Liam Hemsworth) and Cassandra Steely (Teresa Palmer), who plan to leave there small town but they don't have the money to pursue there dreams. Whilst spending time together in a field, Dwayne witnesses a murder, which he records on his camera, and after showing the footage to Cassandra's father, Big Stan Steeley (Billy Bob Thornton), they decide to show the tape to the towns sheriff, Sheriff Vogel (John Malkovich). Once the town is aware that it was the postman, George Wits (Bruce Dern) who was murdered, mentally challenged Derby Milton (Michael Stuhlbarg) goes on the hunt for the killer, because he desperately wants the parcel that was supposed to be delivered that day. From there the movie goes down many unpredictable avenues, which were intense and humorous in places. You really don't know what direction the plot is going to take, and the various characters were played extremely well. The script was cleverly written and the cinematography made the film seem real, mainly because it really did seem like the small town of Cut Bank, was in the middle of nowhere. Its not very often that I watch an unpredictable film which has a tint of wit, even though the events were quite serious, so it's definitely gets the thumbs up from me. Enjoyable!Round-Up: The director was lucky to make this movie with such a low budget, because the cast was great and it certainly looked authentic. The only problem is that, once you know the full storyline, it's not the type of film that you can watch time and time again but I still enjoyed it. The movie was directed by Matt Shakman, 41, whose previous work has mostly been for TV. Although this was his first movie, the script was good enough to bring Bruce Dern, Billy Bob Thornton, John Malkovich and Michael Stuhlbarg on board, and with Teresa Palmer and Liam Hemsworth becoming quite popular in the move world lately, he really did have a great cast to work with. The character which I found the most interesting, had to be Derby Milton, who ended up being the most deadliest character, even though the whole town thought he was dumb. The only problem is that I doubt that this film will get a big audience, mainly because it's a independent movie which didn't have a large budget but I hope that Matt gets high recognition for putting together something original and quite funny in places.Budget: $5million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into their thrillers, starring Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Dern, John Malkovich, Michael Stuhlbarg, Oliver Platt and Chilton Crane. 7/10

Peter Pluymers "Hi! Welcome to Cut Bank, Montana, where the Rockies meet the Plains. My name's Cassandra Steeley, and I'd like to show you my town full of cheer and wonted kindness."After reading a few reviews (which I normally ostentatiously refuse to do, just to avoid influence) it seemed that "Cut Bank" is very similar to the famous movie "Fargo" made by the Coen brothers. Although I'm a huge film buff and watched quite some movies, I must admit that I've never seen this infamous film. Should I be ashamed and did I miss a milestone in the history of movies ? Probably yes. But on the other hand I could watch this odd movie unprejudiced. The fact that two leading actors starred in the television series based on the Coen's flagship, probably influenced the forming of an opinion for some. For me, as an unyielding opponent of anything that smells like a TV-series, this was again an asset. It's not a work of art with a capital A, but it has a very high entertainment value.The whole brouhaha starts when Dwayne (Liam 'The Hunger Games' Hemsworth) and his girlfriend Cassandra (Teresa Palmer) are making a type of promotional film about the town of Cut Bank, a godforsaken place where nothing really spectacular happens, and unexpectedly they witness the murder of the local postman George Wits (Bruce Dern) who makes his rounds with a vintage post car. They confront Sheriff Vogel (John Malkovich) with this murder. The first one that ever happened in Cut Bank. It turns out that there's a reward for those who can provide evidence about the murder of an official postal employee and Dwayne sees the opportunity to start a new life with his girlfriend far away from Cut Bank. However, there's an additional problem. The inspector of the postal service (Oliver Platt) must first see a corpse before he hands over the check. And then there's the strange Derby Milton (Michael Stuhlbarg) who eagerly wants his lost p-p-p-parcel.The fact that the demand for seeing a dead body causes problems, already indicates that not everything looks as it should be. And you can't tell more about this dark and cynical story without revealing too much. It certainly is all quite absurd and sometimes even humorous. If I should compare it with something, then it's "Twin Peaks" (well I realize that this makes my earlier statement about TV series totally incredible). Actually, the conditions are almost identical. A small community somewhere in no man's land where a murder has been committed. And there are also a bunch of weird residents. In "Cut Bank" you meet some unique personalities such as a sheriff who spontaneously vomits when seeing a murder or a corpse, a speechless "native" who communicates via scribbles on a notepad, a brisk old mailman who's using binoculars to peep at cheerleaders during his round and a crazy taxidermist with an old fashioned pair of glasses with glass like the bottom of a preserving jar who starts to freak out because he didn't receive his parcel. Even the lunch which Sheriff Vogel and inspector Barrett enjoying it, reminded me of Twin Peaks. Only that this wasn't about coffee and pie.The eccentric characters and the subtle used dark humor made me enjoy this movie. Unfortunately, the two main characters were not of the same caliber as the supporting actors. Hemsworth was not so determined as expected and the whole film he walked around like a sad puppy. His girlfriend Cassandra is charming and handsome, but that's about it. Fortunately there was the supporting cast with sounding names like Malkovich, Billy Bob Thornton, Dern, Stuhlbarg and Platt who already have won their spurs. They all played their colorful character with vigour, although sometimes it was really hard to understand what they were raving about when they used their local vocabulary during conversations. Malkovich stars as the desperate sheriff who, even though this is the first murder in his district, succeeds in unraveling the inextricable tangle of successive events. Dern as the elderly postman is hilarious and brings a few dialogs in such a way that it's clear that he's not suffering from dementia. But especially Stuhlbarg impresses as the slightly deranged, mentally disadvantaged and stuttering Derby Milton. Every time he appears somewhere, bewildered residents ask the same question again and again (one of the subtly placed humorous incidents)."Cut Bank" is certainly not a masterpiece in terms of originality and it's not a high flyer. There have been many movies about murder mysteries in a seemingly secluded community and "Cut Bank" also adds nothing new to this genre. I fear, however, that Robert Patino couldn't really tell which direction the story should eventually go. The end result is a humorous mystery crime that results in a violent slasher story. It's nowhere really exciting, but nevertheless it was an amusing flick.More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Gino Cox "Cut Bank" is a moody noir mystery/thriller that deserves much better reviews than the middling critiques it has received. It is evocative of Coen brothers films like "Fargo," "Blood Simple" and "The Ladykillers," but manages to be original and unpredictable. Performances by the top-notch cast are low-key, but credible. The atmosphere is suitably dreary, desolate and depressing. Technical aspects are adequate, if not inspired. The denouement is emotionally satisfying if one puts ones brain on hold and ignores everything one knows about forensic science. The film offers a flimsy rationale based on the small town setting, but it still tests the limits of the audience's willful suspension of disbelief. However, other events are well-grounded. The motives and capabilities of the villain are a bit over the top, but not so much as to distract. Overall it is an engaging and original noir film with excellent performances by a talented cast.

ptlcan-18906 I thought this reminded me a bit of Fargo but my more observant companion correctly and more accurately though it was a bit of a tribute to Blood Simple. If the movie had a weakness it was that Liam Hemsworth seemed a bit flat or lost compared to the others. The story was good, few puzzles still remain unexplained regarding the background of Derby Milton, the character whose singular unravels the plans of the main character and unleashes chaos. The women all play peripheral roles and more or less stand around and look worried.The story felt fresh and although there was a resolution of sorts it was not too cliché.