Deadfall

Addison and Liza are siblings, in an escape from a casino heist, end up stranded in the wilderness headed for the Canadian border. Deadfall is a film that follows the stream of events as they separately head for the Canadian border. While technically a crime drama, Deadfall is less about the their crimes that lead up to this point (in fact, the film says this is Liza’s first), and more about family, their relationship, and those they come in contact with during their journey.

Deadfall has no shortage of cast, from A-List and seasoned actors like Kris Kristofferson, Sissy Spacek and Treat Williams, to more current celebrity and up and comers like Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde and Kate Mara. The writer and director credits are considerably less established. Even with a $12 million budget, this film was not able to hit the mark in the eyes of public opinion, critical acclaim or financial success, closing out at just under $600,00 at the box office internationally.

“You’re no angel at all.”

Yet again, we’re introduced to a failure by marketing or distribution, because Deadfall is an interesting movie. Needless to say the acting performances are spot-on, the writing is strong, and never seems pandered or played out, and the environments are chilling (quite literally, that place looks frigid.) I very much enjoyed Deadfall. The film follows several storylines, and because of that fact, never stales. There were no occasions where I was bored with the development on screen, and at no point does it fall into a lull of non-stop action sequences, drama, or long sessions of dialogue. Between the development of Liza, and Addison’s struggle to survive, there never is a pause in the progress of the film. Also, the relationships between the characters, Hannah and her father, Jay and his perception of his father, and the few we encounter as the film goes on, all felt very natural and real, some so much so that they were frustrating to watch in their closed-minded humanity. The “Crime Drama” of the film falls back seat to the relationships and maturations on screen.

“It’s a good sign when you feel a little bad.”

The only real complaint, which is more an observation, was the complete personality shift in Addison in the third act. His character and motives had, up to that point, seemed clear, but the way his character is portrayed towards the end of the film doesn’t line up with what we, the audience, have witnessed. This could be a condition of fatigue on the character, or stress of the situation, but it seemed too far a contrast from earlier in the film, it seemed a bit maniacal.

“Hush. The Devil will hear you.”

Also, noteworthy, and a credit to the writing, we’re not subjected to an hour and a half chase movie without conscience, or merit. The backstory, not only of Addison and Liza, but also of Jay, Chet and June are given to us naturally, and add a life to the story. It’s not just a mindless goal, everyone’s connection to one another and the attachments all felt organic. Deadfall was originally released December 7th 2012 in an extremely limited run of only eleven screens nationwide, after which it received a more sporadic theatrical release, and finally became available on DVD and Blu-ray home video services on February 5th 2013, and is currently available on Netflix Instant, Amazon Streaming, and iTunes video services. Easily missed, and poorly advertised, Deadfall is a well written, character driven story of survival, family, and personal growth.