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Stellastar80
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Ill Fated (2004)
Pretty images but silly story that suffers from too many stereotypes...
Watched this film at the Filmstock festival in Luton, UK.
Visually it looked good - the rural landscape made a beautiful backdrop but it's quite a ridiculous story that doesn't know if its a farce, a tragedy or a coming of age tale. Just read the plot summary - it's a bit ridiculous - and the blend of farcical Fargo-like antics of the characters really didn't ring true for me because the characters didn't seem so interesting as those in Fargo. It was hard to empathise with any of them, not only because they were all a bit f**ked up in their own way (except Jimmy's fat friend Clayton who I did warm to!), but because they weren't very well drawn as characters.
In my opinion, this film also suffered from using a few too many well worn stereotypes. Jimmy feels trapped in the isolated rural community (peppered with "colourful" characters and redneck weirdos) in which he lives - as he sits fishing with his simple-minded friends he toys with the idea of running away to the big city and maybe going to college. So far, so typical. However, events conspire against him and begin to threaten his freedom and possible escape. His girlfriend Barb is included as one of these complications as she announces she is pregnant with his baby.
It is the character of Barb that really troubled me. Teenager Barb has her own problems - she is also trapped in the small town with a violent father, a dumb ass brother, no hopes for the future and an accidental pregnancy to deal with. I'd say her situation is 100 times worse than Jimmy's, but her story doesn't really get explored enough. Instead the film generally shapes her as an alluring but whining girl who becomes the stereotypical nagging female trying to trap her man and limit his freedom with her demands. Are we meant to sympathise with Jimmy when he's about to run away from her and his responsibilities? Jimmy has certainly earned some of his father Earl's weaknesses and his propensity for running away from his problems. Both Jimmy and Barb are as "ill fated" as each other, but where the film allows Jimmy the potential for escape and education, it does not allow Barb the same possibilities.
When Barb kills herself in the final denouement I felt that this was just a too convenient way to get rid of the complications in Jimmy's life so that he can make a fresh start. While Jan was indeed in a hopeless situation, no one mourns her death at the end - instead we just see Jimmy looking towards a potentially bright future, despite the pain he's helped to cause. This was an unsatisfying ending to a rather flawed film that couldn't decide what it wanted to be and ultimately ended up a bit of a mess.