I think the 70’s Rotten Tomatoes is unfair for the new film Stillwater, written by Oscar winner Tom McCarthy (Spotlight screenplay) as well as other awards for movies such as The Station Agent, Win Win and Up. Much like his previous films, McCarthy knows how to write a great story and here is one based on a true story (like Spotlight) with many twists and turns.
Matt Damon owns the lead character’s angst and colloquialisms of Okie Bill Baker. With fast food sulfite swollen face, he toils at his job while attempting to free the jailed daughter he neglected. He enlists the help of a pretty French woman with a Streisandesque proboscis brilliantly played by Camille Cottin. The daughter, portrayed by Little Miss Sunshine’s 10 year old Abigal Breslin is the only sometimes false note in the cast. While I believed about 70% of her scenes, the 30 I didn’t stood out like Peter Brady’s awkward voice squeaking when he was trying to harmonize with the rest of the Bunch’s band (how’s that for an ancient reference?).
But beyond that, while the movie is over 2 hours, I was never bored. Definitely worth seeing with an ending that felt real.
Stillwater Runs Deep
