A punk rock band living the most hardcore night of their lives!

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2016)

A movie with crime, suspense, horror and punk rock: can it still get better? Yes, it can! We are graced with the performances by Patrick Stewart (known for his interpretation of the captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation - 1987-1994 and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise) and Anton Yelchin (only mentioning some of his latest work: The Driftless Area - 2015, We Don't Belong Here - 2016, Star Trek Beyond - 2016 and Porto - 2016). The film Green Room gains even greater importance as one of the last works in which we see the actor Anton Yelchin, who died on June 19, 2016, at 27 years old, pressed by his own car against a concrete mailbox in the house where he lived.
Directed and written by Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin - 2013), Green Room tells the story of four young musicians, Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Akia Shawkat), Tiger (Callum Turner) and Reece (Joe Cole), members of a punk rock band called A'int Rights. With the tour's failure and the blunder made ​​by the producer with the payment of the show, they will perform for the last time for a neo-Nazi audience at a roadside club around Portland. After the show, by chance, they witness a crime in the dressing room. As the only witnesses, they are prevented by the contractors from leaving the place, being locked in a room. Living the most hardcore night of their lives, can they rely on the promise of the club owner, Darcy (Patrick Stewart), that everything will be fine?
Two key elements that the director uses to make the movie are tension and nervousness, employing the claustrophobic atmosphere of imprisonment to create some disquieting moments. The dark tone of the picture is fundamental in this process, relying on poorly lit and dirty environments, apart from the use of graphic violence to shock the viewer. The soundtrack is very subtle, almost going unnoticed at times.
Another gimmick for fans is all the characterization work of a punk rock band. The members of A'int Rights travel in a van, live with little money and due to the dream of being able to make a living with their music and art. Like every young musician in early career, they play in sh*tholes for a few bucks and participate in the underground scene of the cities. A funny and entertaining moment of the film is when the band plays the cover song Nazi Punks F*ck Off, written by Dead Kennedys, a visible provocation to the neo-Nazis who were there.
The cast was well chosen and here we have to highlight the performances of Anton Yelchin and Patrick Stewart. Playing two opposing forces, the first is sensitive and intense, while the second is cold, calm and meticulous. Stewart, giving life to the character of Darcy, imposes respect and arouses fear.
Green Room is a film with a simple script: be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even with a low budget, the director was very effective portraying the nightmare of the four young musicians. It's worth following Saulnier's next movies.
Originally posted in: https://vikingbyheart.blogspot.com.br