Blue Ruin [2013]

August 3, 2014

The third movie this month opening with a scene that just locks you to the screen and doesn’t let go. Okay, it’s not as strong as in other movies, but it certainly shows you that there will be no compromises. It’s like you see someone in Slayer-wear, instant identification, and sympathy. I adore these simple and “small” movies/stories that are just destroying the blockbusters and their commercial shenanigans. I watched Blue Ruin instead of Expendables 3, and I loved it! It’s so incredibly intense at times that you’re just mesmerized in front of the screen, wondering if Dwight is going to get through the next five minutes. The crushing weight of that feeling of helplessness is so much fun. You have to come to terms with the fact that not all people are going to be super-duper smart and resourceful in extreme situations, but some, just some, will be.

Dwight is a homeless man who lives in his blue ruin of a car. He spends most of his time just occupying space and maintaining basic bodily functions, but one day something jolts him out of this. A man cannot escape his fate or his past. But only if he chooses to. That past is mysterious and dangerous but they forgot something. A man with nothing to lose is one of the most dangerous things on this earth.

There’s something so scary in these ordinary stories that show the true reality of life and its cruelty without holding anything back. Blue Ruin touches upon the core of your personality exactly because of this reality and simplicity. What would I do in a situation like this? What would you do? How one event can affect so many lives over such a long period of time? There’s a lot of questions and not too many good answers. The only certain thing is that you should check out the movie and see for yourself what’s it all about.

Carefully framed scenes combined with vivid colors tell a story of their own. Dialogue is something that would disturb such a setup and you are sometimes left to just admire how a certain scene looks. The thing I liked the most were the wide shots that are so rare in indie movies. Usually, authors, constrained by budget and other issues, choose close-ups, focusing on personalities. I think that this messes up the atmosphere and general vibe of the movie.