AT ANY PRICE - TRIBECA REVIEW
There are some performers in the world that, although very good in their youth, seem to just get better and better with age. Sean Connery fits that bill. Helen Mirren does as well. As does Dennis Quaid. As a young man, he was dashing and charming, often playing off his natural good looks. As he's aged he's held info his looks but deepened as an actor, taking on roles more challenging and characters more morally complex. Such is the case of his portrayal of the scheming family man Henry Whipple in the new drama AT ANY PRICE.
Whipple runs a midsize seed-farming business, something that has been passed down to gun by his father he'd like to pass onto his children. However good he is at the business, and he is, he's also just as dirty, not above showing up to funerals and offering to take the deceased's land off of their family's hands. He's added day to day by his wife, played by Kim Dickens but his children want nothing to do with the farm. One is off climbing mountains, only occasionally writing a postcard. The other is his son Dean (Zac Efron) who wants to race in NASCAR. When Henry's own dirty dealings catch up with him he's forced to reevaluate what's important to him and what he's willing to loose.
Director Ramin Bahrani (MAN PUSH CART) has created a Shakespearian esque tale here, building on the everyday drama of a scheming man, having those actions catch up to him, and slowing seeing everything unravel. Quaid is spectacular as Henry, both doing despicable things and showing his truly nurturing side as well. He's a complex man and Quaid turns in an equally complex performance. Dickens shines in a less showy role as his long suffering wife, turning shades of "Lady MacBeth" in the last act. As the racecar driving son, Zac Efron pull in a subdued, crafted performance that suffers a bit in the middle of the film as the character wanders a bit everywhere. But all three actors, along with several supporting peformances, shine brightly in the film. At Any Price is a film that grows on you. I do feel it's directed with great subtlety and the actors shine throughout. Yet, the file feels at a distance the entire time. The final act seems to come from a different film, even though that was in my opinion the most riviting section. It goes very dark very quickly but the pay off is great. Although I can't fully recommend the film as a whole, there are many great things about it, and the performances deserve to be seen.
VERDICT: ON THE FENCE
Written by Hallie Elizabeth Newton, Ramin bahrani Directed by Ramin Bahrani Starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Chelcie Ross Country USA Content Disclaimer (Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence) For ticket and screening information: http://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets
BOTTOM LINE: Disjointed and feels like it's two separate films by the end. Messy, but an intriguing film nonetheless.