annuskavdpol
Uncle John is a movie where there is quite a bit of suspense. The suspense is built up by the use of the camera and by the play of assumptions. For example, at the start of the movie, the camera shows that a man is stumbling to the end of a dead-end and he walks into the river whilst another man is following him. The camera does not zoom in on the scab on the back of the victim's head but the second man behind him is carrying a paddle - which looks like the weapon that caused the death of the first man. As the story unfolds the camera focuses on micro dialogues which zooms in on details. For example, when Uncle John goes to the parking space of Dutch's car, his brother is already sitting there - and says something to the effect of: it is known that killers often come back to the place they placed false evidence or where they killed their victims. Dutch's brother then stares at Uncle John. It seemed obvious to me Dutch's brother was aware Uncle John was the killer. The use of the bonfire and the isolation of people in small towns added to the setting.
Red_Identity
I feel like this was a story that could have used a lot more refining around the edges, as to make the mystery aspect hit a lot harder and to make it more effective. As it is, it's still pretty good. I do admire it's resistance to go for easy, cheap thrills, as overall the film never goes into places that you expect it to go, or to have twists and turns that are the usual for this type of film. The acting is very good I think, all believable in their parts especially the lead actor playing Uncle John. I do think that the film would leave a lot of audiences wanting more, and expecting a lot more out of it. As it is however, I do feel like it leaves a strong enough impact to really be recommended.
Mendocino-California
I personally would call this a masterpiece. This is so well constructed and put together on so many levels. I rarely see a movie of such caliber and will see this many more times just to see how well it was crafted. This is a slow moving movie, and has many layers interweaving in and out all over the place like a masterfully scripted classical musical piece.The relationship between the boy and girl is one of the best chemistry's I have ever seen on the silver screen. I just wanted to listen to them, wanted them to be together forever. I almost felt I was in their company their level of intimacy was so real and refreshing. The acting was so brilliant most of the actors just drew you into to their world.This movie is slow, its a thinker, and will leave you thinking long after the movie ends ... and that is the brilliance of a brilliant movie.
remembervhs
There's a lot to like about this movie.Its deliberate pace will alienate some viewers. Others will appreciate the artful way the back-story is unveiled and the lack of up-front exposition. The performances are all excellent, but John Ashton steals the show as the title character. The direction and photography are fantastic as well.I found the structure interesting, and was surprised at the some of the choices that were made. Many films follow different story lines and bring them together for a definitive conclusion. In Uncle John, the two story lines do pass by each other but they don't merge. And after their brief meeting, they go their separate ways.I found the story following Ashton's character to be the more interesting to of the two and I believe a movie could have been successfully made using that storyline alone. Still, this film works and I will definitely check out Steven Piet's next.If you do enjoy Uncle John, I would give this film a try:Small Town Murder Songs- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1429392/? ref_=nv_sr_1
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