Living life on-the-run is a romantic idea, as made popular by the thriller genre.
It’s certainly a tried-and-true storyline of the pulp-novel variety. But there’s a problem in pulpy-writing: it’s the same story, the same familiar tropes, characters and storylines that are recycled over and over. A movie like No Country for Old Men is perhaps the most brilliantly realized version of this country western crime thriller with its artistic sub-text. Or the intelligent character portrayal of the brothers in the recent filmHell or High Water with its great bank-heist story. But beyond these features, a film can be plagued if the story is lacking, as in the new movie Galveston.
Based on the novel by Nic Pizzolatto, the creator of True Detective, Galveston is another entry into the hit-man-on-the-run genre. The film stars Ben Foster as Roy, a murderer-for-hire who becomes the hunted when he’s set-up by his boss (Beau Bridges). When the job goes south, he’s left with young Raquel, played by Elle Fanning, “Rocky,” as she calls herself, who wants to escape a life of selling herself as a call-girl. The relationship could certainly set itself up for a romantic pairing, but Roy’s demons, including an ailment that has put an expiration date on his life, leaves Roy emotionally cut-off. Foster and Fanning always bring something special to the big screen and they share a sort of chemistry with the characters that live a bit too on-the-page.
Maybe it’s the reaction to the knowledge that impending doom is so close, so every moment makes us feel alive.
In an interesting move, this is the latest film directed by multi-hyphenate Mélanie Laurent, who audiences will know from such on-screen work as Beginners and Inglorious Basterds. Laurent adds artful introspection to what is the promise of redemption for Raquel and Roy’s ever-consuming darkness. What’s interesting here is that the French-born actress, singer, pianist, screenwriter, and now director takes on this American genre movie, which perhaps hearkens back to the idea that forging your own destiny against all odds is a particularly American tale.
Ultimately, Galveston’s story of living life on the run is an alluring one, and maybe it will always continue to be alluring. Maybe it’s the reaction to the knowledge that impending doom is so close, so every moment makes us feel alive. Or maybe it’s because, at some time or another, we all feel that we’re running from something that we don’t want to confront.
91 min. ‘Galveston’ is not yet rated. Opening at Laemmle Monica Film Center and VOD on this Friday.
