If you're not watching tonight's Champion's League action, why not rent out a DVD? Of course the first question on your mind will be "Which one should I get?" Thankfully, we at ZAlebs enjoy giving our readers regular reviews of the latest films on the cinema circuit as well as the DVD market and today is no different. We review Devil's Knot, the Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth thriller.
What’s the story?
Based on the true life events in Arkansas in 1993 where three teenage boys are found abducted, tied up and murdered in a suspected Satanic rite. The working class community seeks justice and the police identifies three young suspects, one of them known for his love of heavy metal music and things related to witchcraft. Then one of them confesses and an ensuing investigation and court case threatens to tear the community apart with investigator Ron Lax trying to prevent three more families from losing their children.
Who’s in it?
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) plays Ron Lax and Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) plays Pam Hobbs, the grieving mom of one of the dead boys. The rest of the cast includes Bruce Greenwood, Allesandro Nivola, Amy Ryan and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) to name a few.
Who’s the director? Atom Egoyan, the director behind 2009’s Chloe and 1997’s The Sweet Hereafter.
What will you remember?
If you have kids, you’ll be struck by the realization of how easily this can happen. In fact, you’ll wonder how often this happens every day and the newspapers just do not report on it at all.
What’s the best scene?
In a heart-wrenching scene, Pam Hobbs finds an unmarked test of her dead son and takes it to the school to ask the teacher to please grade it.
What’s the best line?
Spoken between Ron Lax and his ex-wife:
Margaret Lax: The police seem so certain, are you sure you wanna do this?
Ron Lax: Yes. Yes I am.
Margaret Lax: It's just that sometimes you take these things so personally. You know, you lose perspective. You get obsessed.
Ron Lax: That's right, Maggie. When I see something like this happen, when I see a town lose three of its children, and they sacrifice three more for revenge, then I do take it personally.
With what piece of information can you impress your friends?
A track playing in and the guitarist's photograph on the wall of Ron Lax's (Colin Firth) office are of Robert Johnson's (1911-1938), a highly influential blues artist, who was rumoured to have sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his mastery of the blues guitar.
What did others have to say?
A decent retelling of the West Memphis Three case, although lacking the gut-punch impact of the Peter Jackson-produced West Of Memphis. www.empireonline.com
The film's focus is almost exclusively on the miscarriage of justice. Steering clear of undocumented and salacious details, any speculation is left in the mind of the beholder - particularly surrounding the murders themselves. Just as well, because the truth is horrible. And it’s still out there. www.skymovies.com
RATING: 7/10