Cold in July *** (2014, Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson) – Movie Review

Michael C. Hall stars as the frightened everyman Richard Dane, who kills an intruder in his home one night in 1989 in Texas. Dane foolishly attend the man’s funeral, and the victim’s murderous ex-con father (Sam Shepard) turns up and starts a campaign of stalking and menacing Dane and his wife and kid. The cops appear sympathetic to the family, providing help and police protection, but it turns out the body they’ve buried isn’t who they say he was.

A satisfyingly unpredictable chain of events follows in the best neo film noir fashion, with  an impressively high level of secrets, lies and violence on the agenda. Don Johnson turns up as a private investigator called Jim Bob, as the two dads link up with him to uncover and take on the villains.

What starts as a moody and gripping revenge thriller turns into a dark, grim vigilante movie. The twisty plot keeps it mighty involving throughout, but the eerie, sweaty and atmospheric first half is better than the edgy action-driven climax, though both are excellent, combining into one heck of a nailbitingly tense movie.

Hall is excellent in a nervy, twitchy role, and he loyally provides the straight man act for the tour-de-force turns of the more showy Shepard and Johnson. Co-writer Nick Damici gives himself a nifty role as the duplicitous cop in charge of the case. They all have plenty to do, and Johnson even adroitly provides some dark-toned laughs, which would be light relief in another film but here just make the film’s noir bleakness seem bleaker.

With all the tasty ingredients so expertly cooked, noir fans should be in noir heaven. Doing admirable work, Jim Mickle directs and co-scripts from the novel by Joe R. Lansdale, who enjoys a cameo as the priest at the graveside.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1360

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