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THE BIG UGLY
Director: Scott Wiper Cast: Vinnie Jones, Ron Perlman, Malcolm McDowell, Nicholas Braun, Leven Rambin, Brandon Sklenar, Bruce McGill, Lenora Crichlow, Joelle Carter, Elyse Levesque MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:46 Release Date: 7/24/20 (limited); 7/31/20 (digital & on-demand) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | July 23, 2020 Two groups of bad, violent people go to war over a dead girlfriend in The Big Ugly. It's that simple (and that—as is usually the case when a story reduces a woman to her death and the absent motive for a man—questionable), but writer/director Scott Wiper at least brings a sense of style and some consideration for these characters (well, the living ones, obviously) along for the ride. The setup for the eventual revenge-focused plot involves a business deal between British crime lord Harris (Malcolm McDowell) and West Virginian oil baron Preston (Ron Perlman). Joining Harris on the trip across the pond is his right-hand man Neelyn (Vinnie Jones), the organization's muscle. The deal goes through without a hitch, but after celebrating a little too hard at a local bar, Neelyn passes out in his hotel room. His girlfriend Fiona (Lenora Crichlow) decides to have a drink or two with Preston's son Junior (Brandon Sklenar), and by the morning, she has disappeared. Neelyn finds her body by a creek, and now, he wants answers and vengeance. Wiper follows through on this premise as we would expect (Neelyn investigates, confronts, and repeatedly tries to put an end to Junior), but there's an unexpected flavor to the conflict, primarily in the ways these characters talk, interact, disagree, and try to negotiate their way through this dirty business. The story is littered with characters, from the aforementioned ones to others who seem to exist with histories and personalities solidly formed. Will (Nicholas Braun) is the company foreman, as well as a guy Preston essentially pays to be his sociopathic son's friend and conscience. He's dating Kara (Leven Rambin), a bartender who has caught Junior's eye but just wants to live an ordinary, small-town life free of such trouble. Milt (Bruce McGill) is Preston's enforcer, who could explain why he's so loyal to the big guy but, in a most telling way, doesn't want to and won't. There's a lot to admire in the way Wiper uses such shorthanded dialogue to define these characters, their relationships, and the nature of this shady business arrangement. There's less to admire about how all of these more intimate details are in service of this story. The characters of The Big Ugly get some appreciated room to breathe, but ultimately, they're suffocated by an obvious and far less nuanced plot. Copyright © 2020 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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(for violence, language throughout, some sexual content and brief drug
use)
