Straw Dogs

Starring: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Sarsgard, James Woods

Directed by: Rod Lurie

Rating: I Really Liked It

The basic synopsis is simple: hometown girl returns home with new Hollywood boyfriend to find that not much has changed.  Football still rules the town in the south.  There's a level of racism just under the surface.  Small town people take care of their own and don't take kindly to outsiders.

If we want to explain a little more, it's still pretty simple.  After Amy (Bosworth) meets her husband David (Marsden) on the set of her TV show, the two decide to move back to her home town in deep south Mississippi so David can have some peace and quite while he works on his next project.  Quickly, tensions build between the couple and the local residents.  It all comes to a head in the climatic finale where David fights for his and Amy's lives.

This was a pick of the hat movie for me.  I usually don't go to the movies often, but a friend of mine really wanted to see something, and we flipped for either this or "Drive".  I was pleasantly surprised.  I wasn't expecting much here, but this is one of the most suspenseful movies I've seen in a while.

The cast and director do a great job of playing David's big city politeness against the down home hospitality of the southerners.  This awkward interaction between the two lifestyles almost makes you squirm in your seat.  You never know what to expect from the locals, and when they finally do make their move, you don't see it coming.

Marsden is great in the role of David.  He is a likable, but cowardly man that eventually has had enough.  It was really interesting to see the negative side of the hometown football hero angle played up for once.  This hero position is one that Amy's ex-boyfriend, Charlie (Skarsgard), fits into.  He is lead in his backwoods ways by previous head football coach Tom Heddon (Woods).  Woods does a great job in this role as well.  Each actor portrays the innocent southerner role right up to the point that you need to see them change, and then change they do.

Marsden's portrayal here really makes me want to see the original film.  Dustin Hoffman played the starring role orgininally, and he is one actor I love to see play the tough guy brought out by the bad situation.

This movie really surprised me, and I would highly recommend it.  Keep in mind the gore level is pretty high.