Chilling

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2009)

Why had I not heard of this before? I purchased a copy of this on sale on a hunch, and boy am I glad I did. This deals with the issue of racism in a respectful and honest way, not shying away from the disgusting and awful things done in the name of "keeping white men pure", and yet without ever preaching. When three Civil Rights activists disappear in Mississippi, two FBI agents are sent in to solve the case. But how can they do so, when the bigotry is so rampant? This was based upon real events, though the facts were changed... some say "too much", and that has led to controversy surrounding the release. The portrayal of the deep South is deeply unpleasant, and one can only hope that they are nothing like the way they were in the 60's anymore. This is gripping from start to finish, exciting and also funny. The humor doesn't try hard, and all feels very natural. This is well-paced. The characters are well-written, credible and consistent. All roles are well-cast, and Hackman, Dafoe and Tobolowsky, among others, shine. The dialog is impeccably written and delivered, with countless memorable and quote-worthy lines. This is well-produced, with great editing and cinematography. Parker is known to be a dependable director, and he does not disappoint. The DVD has an interesting commentary by him, as well as a trailer. There is brutal violence, relatively frequent moderate to strong language and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to everyone who can handle it. 8/10