October Gale (2014) User Reviews

He's kind of hunkie and she's kind of horny

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 11 June 2017]

In October Gale, the winds whip up into gale force when Scott Speedman arrives at the doorstep of widow Patricia Clarkson's home with a bullet in him. Just his luck she's a physician like her late husband.

Scott has a real problem going for him. He served some time in Canadian prison for killing a man and he's out now. But the father of the guy he killed, Tim Roth doesn't think that was enough. He's on the hunt now for Speedman.

Do I have to say more, Clarkson gets an itch revived in her and maybe Speedman's the one to scratch. In any event she's drawn into his personal war with Roth.

The climax is staged very well, Roth gives an outstanding performance of a truly demented man.

Nicely acted and photographed Canadian production.

Nadda Bring Nadda Thing

[theSachaHall · 5/10 · 21 February 2015]

Premiering during a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), October GALE is a dramatic thriller that's too devoid of tension to be considered thrilling and far short of emotional and relatable characters to be considered dramatic.

It's a shame because the opening sequence of sweeping Parry Sound long shots and Steadicam shots of Helen (Patricia Clarkson) opening and cleaning the family's vacation cottage offered a promising segue into what appears to be (on the surface), a study in normative bereavement with a murderous twist. Likewise, the film's setting is a beautiful contradiction of comfortable isolation that quickly dissipates as the story's nonsensical and improbable choices become too incredulous to be believable.

Grieving the loss of her husband (played in silent flashbacks by Callum Keith Rennie) in a wild storm the previous year, Toronto doctor Helen Matthews (Clarkson) decides to return to her family's isolated cottage in an effort to move on. After single-handedly opening up the warm and comforting home in Georgian Bay, Helen begins the arduous task of sifting through and removing some of the mementos accumulated during their 32-year marriage.

The visual and aural planes of this transition from acceptance to perseverance are well crafted; the non-diegetic musical score gives way to diegetic empathetic sounds of the bay that feel crisp and renewing. Fortuitously so considering Helen shortly thereafter comes face-to-face with an unexpected and mysterious gentleman (Scott Speedman) crawling and bleeding on her floor with a gunshot wound. After treating his wound and grabbing her rifle, Helen waits for the stranger to wake up and when he does, Will is vague about the attack and about his life thus far until local handyman Al (Aidan Devine) decides to pay Helen an unexpected visit. Will relents and reveals that he had spent time in prison for manslaughter after a bar-fight and that the guy's father 'is not going to stop until he's killed me'.

As the storm gains momentum outside, Helen agrees (stupidly I might add) to allow Will to stay in her home as they lazily prepare themselves for Al and the gunman to return. The script here is utter wish-wash: writer/director Ruba Nadda (INESCAPABLE) fails to build any suspense and tension for the ensuing action causing it to fall flat, it fails to explain how Helen's appears to be a survivalist doctor who's also a crack shot, nor the circumstances of Will's incarceration and Helen's inconceivable trust in a man she just met.

Clarkson and Speedman should however, be applauded for their performances: extracting every nuance they could from their two-dimensional characters to at least be creditable. Overall, if 'it's OK' are the only two words I can come up with after 91 minutes, it's probably safe to say you might want to wait to watch it on video.

You can catch me on my handle @TheSachaHall or at The Hollywood News.

More of a nondescript breeze, actually...

[natashabowiepinky · 4/10 · 24 February 2015]

October Gale is a VERY apt name for this film. Like the wind, it blows briefly... And then is gone from the memory for good, leaving behind no trace it was ever there. At least the last film I reviewed, as irredeemably dreadful as it was, gave me something to talk about. This one sets up the most minor of conflicts, and proceeds to follow it to the most predictable outcome... All the while, dwelling on uninteresting scenes to pad out the length to 90 minutes, and giving us a romance/friendship which fails to convince on any level.

After finding this gunshot wound victim on her estate on her island, the heroine is nowhere near a hospital and lacks the requisite supplies to treat him. So, leaving him ALONE... She gallivants off to buy what she needs from the mainland. This is just the start of many risks she takes with this stranger, who for all she knows could be a murderer. Yet, within a few days from being at death's door, he's up and about... Saving her life after she accidentally falling into the sea and exchanging stories with her about each other's 'dark pasts'. She's just lost her husband (As we're constantly reminded through tiresome flashbacks) and he's on the run after killing his adopted brother. Gripping. NOT. 60 minutes of brainless fluff ensues.

Things get a LITTLE (In the mildest sense of the word) more interesting when the bloke's dad turns up to AVENGE HIS REAL CHILD, and we think we're going to get a bit of action. No such luck. More talking, more walking-around-in-the-dark-not-doing-very-much, and the most obvious of conclusions. YAWN. It all feels like a placeholder for another film, one with proper characters, not these off-the-shelf one-dimensional cyphers. When you've found it, can I watch that one instead, Pls? 4/10

Very slow and very disappointing and not a whole lot more

[Seth_Rogue_One · 3/10 · 21 July 2015]

I was wondering why this movie with a such a good cast like Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth managed to have a mere 5.1/10 (current rating when writing this review)

But when I started watching it, it started to make sense

In the first half hardly nothing of substance happens and there are plenty of everyday scenes of Patricia Clarkson reading a book or remembering a romantic moment with her husband or fixing with the wood- pile for the fireplace and stuff like that with very little dialogue as she's by herself in the beginning

Tim Roth doesn't show up until the last 20 minutes, he's supposed to be menacing but comes off as bored

The plot itself also doesn't make a lot of sense to me, it's extremely simple really but the characters relations to one each other are daftly written, and it's boring, extremely slow and could have easily been cut down 30 minutes and you wouldn't have missed anything

Cinematographic sometimes a joy to look at, but the content missed a little panache and passion.

[peterp-450-298716 · 4/10 · 28 February 2015]

"Helen, if you let him in, we are both dead."

What do I remember of "October Gale" after watching it ? Strange but true, the soundtrack eventually made the biggest impression on me. Melancholic piano music wonderfully fitting the state of mind of Helen Matthews (Patricia Clarkson) . The entire film is carried by the compositions of Mischa Chillak. And especially the beautiful and fragile number "Close Watch" of Agnes Obel playing at the beginning of the film, while Helen navigates her boat over the huge lake to civilization, was perfect at that moment in the film. The modest and understated performances by Clarkson and Speedman (William) were outstanding. And afterwards I also had the desire to travel to such a remote island where you can stay undisturbed. But these are ultimately the only positive things I can think of. It's a fairly empty and uninspired film. "October Gale" described as a thriller, with a touch of drama and romance in it. But ultimately it's only a brief sketch about Helen's process of handling the loss of her husband, with varying emotions coming up. There was a brief moment of romance in the present and a lot of it in the flashbacks. And to label it as a thriller, they really should have come up with a bit more tension since that section was extremely limited.

Helen Matthew, apparently a doctor, goes to an island in Ontario where she and her late husband James (Callum Keith Rennie) used to spend their weekends and holidays in a weekend cottage that has been already 100 years in possession of James' family. Apparently, the only purpose of this trip is to finally clean up that cabin and come clean with the past. An entire cleaning operation so to say. This is accompanied by painful memories and tangible confrontation with the past. When it's all a bit to much to her, she decides to go and buy a new fuse. After some delay she returns to the island, while a powerful storm arises. In the course of the evening she finds the wounded young man William (Scott Speedman) with a gunshot wound in his shoulders and who gives, after being taken care of, a vague explanation about what happened to him.

A simple story which is shown on the big screen in a simple way. At first I thought it was intriguing and fascinating. I was waiting for how the story would develop. But in the end I realized I was still waiting for it. By the time the denouement with the ultimate confrontation came, it was finished before I knew it. If you think this movie will end with a bang, I can already tell you that the curtain will fall with two modest bangs. There were also some dubious facts that made me frown my forehead. Most of these seemed to be rather far-fetched, and some weren't very logical. I found it odd that there were no spare fuses in the cabin, but the moment Helen takes care of the injured William, she magically pulls out a complete surgical equipment with all kinds of forceps, scissors and disinfectant. Did they have that cottage already when she was an intern in a hospital? Did she use these instruments to practice on her boyfriend at that time? Or is it simply too dangerous to stay on this island? And the way James exchanged the fuses afterwards made me chuckle. A university degree is no guarantee for thinking logical and practical apparently.

The fact she couldn't connect with her cell phone, while this really wasn't a problem in the beginning, made clear that communication waves in these parts of the country aren't really weatherproof and are blown to all directions at the slightest storm. It was also totally incomprehensible to me where those emotions between the two protagonists suddenly came from. There was no apparent reason for that. Perhaps the intimacy during the operation and the additional care, created the charged atmosphere and ensured the chemical reaction between Helen and William. And apparently it's custom in those parts that after getting punched in the face, you'll make some coffee for the attacker. But the most annoying thing was the fact that the whole affair about William wasn't explained. Eventually I wanted to know what had happened and what caused it.

"October Gale" feels like an admirable attempt. But this attempt to make something of it, fails unfortunately and results in a calmly developing film with a mix of emotions. The melancholy and letting go of the past, the absence of affection and the moment someone can feel it back again and the ultimate suspense with vengeance as a central motif. The performances weren't the problem. Especially Clarkson provided a serene and wonderful performance, despite the limited script. Even Speedman sparkled at times, but I guess he was necessary to attract a female audience. The only one who was pretty disappointing (his limited role probably had something to do with it), was Roth. He acted as if he had just flown over briefly to finish the job. Conclusion: Cinematographic sometimes a joy to look at, but the content missed a little panache and passion.

More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be

Doesn't Ring True

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 12 November 2015]

From start to finish this indie "thriller" never seemed to ring true. The movie's dialogue just came across to me as non-believable as did many of the nonsensical plot situations, so I just couldn't "buy in".

The talented actress Patricia Clarkson stars here as Dr. Helen Matthews, who's grieving the recent loss of her husband of 32 years. She's determined to travel alone from her home in Toronto to the family's Canadian isolated lakeside cottage, where she and her spouse spent many happy days together.

However soon after she arrives, amidst a severe storm, Helen will find a young man (Scott Speedman) with a bleeding bullet wound in his shoulder and going into shock. His name is Will, and the story of how he arrived at the cottage, and who shot him, is slowly revealed.

When a local handyman arrives by boat to the island and sees what's occurring, he quickly departs and sets adrift Helen and Will's remaining boats, thus stranding them there. Will informs Helen that the handyman has ties to the man (Tim Roth) who shot him and that they can expect him to return soon to try and finish him off. It will all spiral down in what I would say was a predictable conclusion.

In summary, I'm sorry to say this film written and directed by Ruba Nadda (Cairo Time), came across as hollow and just wasn't believable to me, thus wasting the talents of a top notch cast.

Don"t waste your time!

[pjiteh-59099 · 1/10 · 13 December 2022]

Don't do this to yourself! Don't watch this movie. No script, no action , no story to really make sense and follow. The director should go back to directing school. Could be a great movie if there was a scenario.

A really bad movie that leaves you feeling bad for the time you spent watching it.

The actors tried but there is no character building, no reason to their stories and no logical explanation for what happened and why. The end is also poor leaving the story half and quite messed up especially at the 2-3 last minutes.

I really wonder how can studios pay for movies like this and how they give them the green light !!

If you like romance novels then maybe...otherwise avoid

[damianphelps · 3/10 · 29 August 2020]

The grief aspects of this movie, especially early on are handled well and are completely believable. The rest of the movie is implausible nonsense that gets worse the longer it goes on. A side note, Tim Roth doesn't show up till around the last quarter of the movie, so not worth watching just for him.

Being somewhat brain-dead will enhance the view-ability of this movie!

Art majors, get your paint brushes ready!

[powell-yendi · 10/10 · 6 February 2015]

An injured Adonis turns up at the doorstep of a beautiful older widow. Sounds cute, right? Well it is. This movie is meant for an older crowd (I'd say 30+), because there is not much action or activity. It's a gloomy movie, about people who are grieving over their respective tragedies. Nevertheless, it is very artistically done. There are so many beautiful views in this movie that around 88% of the scenes would make expensive paintings. I assume that the low rating has to do with how slow the movie feels to those who require acrobats and car explosions. October Gale doesn't have those visual effects because it is realistic fiction that was meant to be artsy and romantic. I highly recommend this movie to art majors and professors.

isolation is a key component suspense

[Jawsphobia · 13 February 2017]

After a doctor (Patricia Clarkeson) is widowed, she takes time away to tend to her old island cottage only to be caught in a storm and a deadly revenge plot between strangers. The movie is determined to emphasize the unspoken and realistic moments, and a sense of purpose in life that is lost with the death of the husband (Callum Keith Rennie in flashbacks). But even from the mundane tasks of maintenance on the cottage to first aid for a fugitive on her doorstep, she still has to deal with life that presents itself. When she is at her most rootless, the opening scenes are hand-held; the more steady presentation begins once she heads out on the lake for what seems like a joy ride or to vent and feel some control. Even when her boat has engine trouble and she has to accept help, she has asserted something and taken control. As the main plot of the movie kicks in with the intrusion of her visitor, there is danger on the horizon and the impending arrival of a vengeful two-man posse manages to avoid the tempo of a High Noon template while still taking its heroine somewhere interesting and leaving her with new options to consider. The presence of Tim Roth is welcome and well used as he brings a matter-of-fact sense of menace. As in her previous collaboration with director Ruba Nadda, Clarkeson let's us meet her half way with what might otherwise be said and what might be expected. Notice that Ruba Nadda has recently director for shows like NCIS, and I look forward to her doing more of her own features.

You always think there's going to be more

[ferguson-6 · 4/10 · 2 March 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer/Director Ruba Nadda likes to explore human nature and unexpected romantic attraction. She did this in Cairo Time (2009) and does so again here in this excruciatingly slow-moving "thriller" with an interesting beginning, muddled middle, and a final act that reminds of wet fireworks … a dud. On the bright side, actress-extraordinaire Patricia Clarkson never allows us to lose interest.

I've often written of my enjoyment of slow-burns and slow-builds for thrillers, and the best manage to generate a sense of caring from the viewers as they move towards the climax. Unfortunately, this one offers little more than an intriguing premise that places one ridiculous development on top of the next.

Patricia Clarkson plays a doctor whose beloved husband has recently passed away and she heads to their lake cottage for some peace and quiet. Not long after, an injured Scott Speedman shows up in her living room. Being a doctor, she performs bullet-removal surgery with needle-nosed pliers, and then of course, finds herself attracted to the young gunshot victim who is being hunted by the father of a guy Speedman killed.

We know the showdown is coming, but it seems to take forever to arrive, and then is pretty anti-climactic despite the presence of Tim Roth as the revenge-seeking father. The romantic attraction is pretty far-fetched and plays like a Nicolas Sparks story, or even a 1990's Tom Berenger or Ashley Judd thriller.

The focus on death could have gone much deeper, psychologically speaking, and there is a brief scene where Roth tells Speedman "You always think there's going to be more time" that leads us to believe things are going to get really interesting. Instead more attention is given to the unlikely romance and the kinda hokey manhunt. Fortunately, the cinematography around beautiful Georgian Bay helps offset the story and the manipulative score, and of course watching Patricia Clarkson and Tim Roth work is always somewhat satisfying.

Yawn.

[kitellis-98121 · 1/10 · 8 July 2018]

A Netflix reviewer suggested that this film improves somewhat after the first 20 minutes of watching a middle-aged woman cleaning her house. I didn't make it that far, so I can't comment.

What I can say is that if you're going to make a film that begins with 20 minutes of house-cleaning, you could at least get the actress to fold the blankets neatly! I believe I actually developed a bad case of OCD while watching this movie. Either that, or it was just so dull that my mind began to obsess over irrelevant details in the set dressing.

It's a rare film that makes me give up so soon, but this one managed to be both boring and depressing before anything had even happened (other than an unevenly folded blanket), so I didn't get to see if she restocked the fridge or merely emptied it.

Tries your patience

[jtindahouse · 4/10 · 9 December 2015]

Some movies are just tough to sit through. 'October Gale' is one of them. You really need the patience of a saint to get through it. Director/writer Ruba Nadda creates scene after scene of absolute nothingness that the audience is expected to sit through and hope whatever's coming is worth the wait. It's not. The premise seemed interesting enough and with a different script could have made for a really exciting, interesting movie. Instead we are left with this.

Even a late cameo from the always great Tim Roth isn't enough to save things. You could tell Nadda had banked a lot on this performance by Roth being the Savior of his film but when you give his scene a moments thought you realise just how irrational and senseless the whole thing is. Patricia Clarkson in the lead role gives a real snoozefest of a performance and Scott Speedman never really gets out of first gear either. He seems as bored by the script as the audience will be. I don't think Nadda ever really settled on what he wanted the film to be. One second the characters are falling in love, the next they're fighting for their life, the next they're discussing the meaning of life. There's a lot going on here but sadly none of it's good.

Nicely filmed but the expected climax did never come

[sorendanni · 5/10 · 16 December 2020]

Sometimes it amazes me, how many films with a modest budget can look really beautiful these days. As is October Gale. The scenes on and around the lake are beautifully portrayed on this film. The sound was also very good. The storm certainly came threateningly out of the speakers.

The film is ment to be part of the psychological thriller genre. Not everyone likes this type of film, especially since they are often slow to develop at first. But once they get going, they can pull the viewer out of their seat, into the story. However, there are two important conditions for this! First, the characters need to be explored very thoroughly so that the viewer can bond with them. Second, there has to be a plot that slowly ramps up the tension and comes recommended to a big climax, a big showdown between good and evil.

Unfortunately, October Gale fails on both counts. The actors have done their best, but the confused storyline does not allow them to put their soul into the characters. The heroine, the antihero, and the villain have all clearly experienced tragedy. But the storyteller fails to bring this to the viewer. We see a lot of flashbacks, but as a viewer you have the feeling that you are still missing a lot to see the whole picture. There are many loose ends!

Worse still, the promised climax is not there. The confrontation was not a bitter life-and-death struggle, not a terrifying chase, or not even just a little bit thrilling. No, the film only offers a faint light version of what we've seen in so many other thrillers. It is over before you as a viewer realize it.

Mainly because of the lack of the promised climax, I give October Gale only 5/10. A shame as it was filmed to carry a much better plot than this.

killed by a kiss

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 22 May 2020]

Dr. Helen Matthews (Patricia Clarkson) is alone at the family cottage after the death of her husband James (Callum Keith Rennie). She finds a wounded stranger named Will (Scott Speedman). She pulls out a bullet. They're trapped as a storm approaches. Local handyman Al Tessier (Aidan Devine) arrives but Will claims that he's a killer. Tom (Tim Roth) is coming to kill Will.

There is a good tension early on between Clarkson and Speedman. The audience can't trust Speedman and neither can Clarkson. The tension is broken with the kiss. The premise crumbles as Clarkson gives away her trust too quickly. It's impossible to know the truth at that point and the movie stumbles. These are great actors but they can't act their way out of this muddled writing. Filmmaker Ruba Nadda seems to have recently fallen back on TV directing. The directing is fine if unspectacular but the writing has issues.

So boring and meaningless movie! The worst editing i ever seen!

[vinzarka · 1/10 · 26 March 2016]

This is one of the most boring movies i ever seen. Why all actors are playing so fake? Why all situations are connecting senseless with each other? And the worst thing in this movie is editing. Many many many mistakes in video editor. Acting was a fake in all aspects. That suspense was so long and boring and how is possible that all these actors were playing so weak and pretending? How is possible that this scenery is in pieces and not like a real story? I guess is all fault of this kind of director Ruba Nadda. I have no idea who is Ruba Nadda but i am not going to watch any other movie of her. Don't lose the time of public to watch some distracted ideas of you, Ruba Nadda!

Beautiful and captivating!

[lindapellowe · 10/10 · 11 February 2016]

I found this beautiful little movie very recently and it quickly has become a new favorite. The story and writing, the cast, the location and mood, the dynamics and nuances between characters I found to be all quietly captivating. Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, playing their parts with 'Canadian restraint' are perfect in their roles, and Tim Roth, as ever, is utterly authentic as the British undesirable. October Gale, in my humble opinion, should be watched as a love story rather than as a thriller . . . and the naysayers who have given it the thumbs down, should perhaps view it again with a different mindset. I loved it!

"Move along...there's nothing to see here"

[lousea-04941 · 1/10 · 28 August 2016]

One of the worst movies I ever wasted time on! All the more surprising and disappointing considering that I was drawn by trailer showing Patricia Clarkson and Tim Roth, two of my favorite actors...what could go wrong? Now I'm left wondering how/why in the world they signed-on for this disaster. Also left wondering how people who paid to have this movie made feel about their investment

Earlier reviewer said this was a film "meant for an older crowd, 30+"...I'm over 60 and here to tell you it didn't work for this senior. I don't mind slow, moody films long as they have a good plot...but this just didn't. Should've trusted my instincts when they told me to bail out early in the film.

I dunno...maybe it's me and I just don't appreciate art. Nahhh...it was a bad movie.

Fast forward

[samimirshak · 3/10 · 9 January 2022]

So, so, so slow. Thank goodness for the fast forward button. I watched because of the Canadian scenery and of course Scott Speedman.

Scott Speedman was the only thing that made it worth watch...Hubba habba baby!! Oh and the scenery was amazing, makes me wish I could afford a cottage.

Small indie thriller that doesn't quite thrill

[paulananda · 4/10 · 23 December 2020]

Small indie thriller that doesn't quite thrill. patricia clarkson is quite good, but the script is lacking.

Boring

[julialinneaog · 2/10 · 26 July 2017]

Tim Roth was the only good thing about this film, to be completely honest. (I loved the scene when she hit him in the chest with a rifle and super cool as he is he just exclaims ''Really?'') And he was only in it for like two seconds.

The film was anticlimactic as f**k and boring. I don't think i would've watched it to the end if it was longer.

Maybe there was a message or something in the film, but i don't really care. Like i said, it was boring.

The slowest movie I've seen recently

[drnicasia · 4/10 · 29 August 2020]

Too too slow.Such a drag with an old hag sorry to say.If a relationship developed With the convict it was totally unrealistic.And the story had a pathetic line to it. The only real thing was the pain of her loss of her husband. A movie for older women.The rest will pull their hair out!

How did this movie happen?

[cherronw · 3/10 · 14 May 2020]

The plot is so full of holes it sank. It goes from poignant grief flashbacks to quick and forced almost sex scenes. No one knows why a grieving widow would take her most see-thru underwear to her isolated cabin on a deserted island. Not to mention how she ended up almost drowning and being saved by a dude with a fresh hole in his shoulder. Don't even get me started on the reason why he is being hunted in the first place, or how even ended up at this woman's cabin. Nothing is really explained and nothing makes sense. I had to fast forward to the end just to see what happened.

Ugliness amidst beautiful Nature.

[paulcreeden · 8/10 · 31 August 2015]

I was surprised by the low ratings here. I liked this film for its suspense and dialogue. It is a quiet play, not a high-strung thriller. The slow revelations about loss, commonality and revenge were well done. Scott Speedman, perpetual hunk, was good in his portrayal of the drifter with a past. Patricia Clarkson was a good choice for the role. She lent credibility to the events by her adept pacing and subtle emoting. Tim Roth as a cockney creep was a pleasant bonus. A moody film, not for the viewer who needs explosions and graphic violence. The climax builds slowly and is worth waiting for. The denouement was moving and offered a ray of humanity to a dark view of human nature.

Immersive, great acting, superb soundtrack and quite heartwarming

[paul-psr-ryder · 8/10 · 2 June 2015]

I was pleasantly surprised when coming across this movie, I found the whole movie intriguing, leaving me wanting to keep watching to find out what's around the corner...

The movie is set in a stunning location, with a greatly put together cast, which was well acted throughout. Stranger scenarios have happened I imagine, I will give no spoilers, however for those looking for a film which you can sit back and fall into to escape the woes of your own lives, I would highly recommend this title.. I would like to add that the audio composition is a perfect fit, none of this commercial EDM which appears to be in everything nowadays.. The main female character is stunning, the main male character is a hunk, great chemistry and quite an imaginatively melted collection of daydreams... Check it out