Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Local (2008)


Was looking around for some movies to watch today as I was bored and stumbled across "The Local" which came out last year and was written and directed by Dan Eberle (who is also in the starring role).  This is a gritty drama in which the main character (whose name is never revealed) is totally down on his luck and is barely making ends meet as a courier for the local drug establishment.  What makes the main character interesting is that he has these core values and even though he has fallen about as far as a person can go, he tries never to let go of those values.  Eventually events unfold which lead to a change in the main characters life (don't worry I won't spoil it for you).

At first I wasn't sure if I'd recommend this movie as the acting is just okay, the dialogue is just okay and some parts of the story just don't seem realistic.  However, Dan Eberle did manage to do some things in the movie really well which for me lessened the impact of its faults.  What I really liked was the atmosphere of the film (which was supported by some great cinematography) and that the fundamental message the movie was trying to deliver came across on screen as after it was over it made me think about it.  At the end of the day, if a movie can make you think afterwards about its main message then it has succeeded and because of that I'd recommend it.

IMDB:  6.1/10

P.S.  Just a word of warning, if you're not into dark/gritty drama's and some explicit violence then this film may not be your cup of tea...