There are some very nicely-framed shots in this movie; a lot of objects in the foreground, both in and out of focus, and one particularly neat image that is shot partially through an empty beer bottle with Bucky pacing back and forth in the background, out of focus. Although in one of these shots, the focus jumps a bit too quickly from the foreground to the background. I also liked many of the moving shots, as they added both tension and visual interest.
The opening montage, which consists of news footage and the typical “happy family pictures” that are often shown after a tragic crime, was really well-done. It helped set the mood, tell the backstory, as well as to get across the feeling of communal panic and paranoia that seems to set in after such brutal crimes. The transition between the news footage and the opening scene was simple but, effective – a slow zoom out from a tv screen where the footage was playing, then into the living room of one of the characters.
There were also a few nice montages, such as Bucky and Travis getting ready for their “mission”. The contrast between Bucky’s cold determination and Travis’ anxious nerves was illustrated using both visuals and music. The scenes of Eric being tortured by the two of them are also done in somewhat of a montage format, which is quite effective. Firstly, it avoids overly bloody or gruesome images, which may be too much for most viewers. But it also preys on the power of suggestion – the implication of what is being done to Eric is actually more nerve-wrecking to an audience than actually seeing it on screen.
There was a really nice series of black-and-white flashbacks where Eric was remembering the night of the murder. These flashbacks showed up a few times throughout which helped to get the audience into Eric’s head. There was also a brief shot of video camera footage used, which added a nice touch. Although I would’ve liked to see a bit more of this, as the video camera is picked up several times throughout the course of the movie.
This film didn’t have a lot of visual issues. There were several shots with significantly low light, especially at Bucky’s apartment where the room seemed only to be lit by the TV. While lower lit scenes gave the film a definite eerie feeling, it was sometimes difficult to see what was happening, and occasionally the contrast was a bit too low, flattening the image.
There was a really great theme song to this film, as well as other good dramatic themes. The dialogue was clear and easy to understand (although Bucky’s thick southern drawl might be lost on some northern folk.)
My one complaint is that there was a segment of very dramatic and ominous music in an early scene where Bucky is driving to see his daughter. It really doesn’t seem to fit as the audience doesn’t know who is in the truck or where they are going. This type of music would be better suited for use when seeing a police car driving down the road, as one might assume that they are enroute to arrest and/or speak with a person of interest in the murder. Or it would also be more suited to the many tense scenes inside Eric’s house.
