There is only a small list of films that truly exceed the preposterousness of the real life that they seek to imitate. American Animals deserves to be on that list.
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This is based on a true story.
So states the seemingly bold claim that kicks off the film. With Bart Layton at its helm (The Imposter), it is not that the claim is bold but that the director himself is.
American Animals is his new offering. Given the heist-drama film is centered on childhood friends living in suburban Kentucky looking steal rare paintings of birds, the stakes aren’t exactly high. But don’t let that fool you. This is where a masterful storyteller can be useful.
Take notes, because even for a hefty 116 minutes, you will not spend a moment looking away. Employing an interview-meets-reenactment aesthetic that’s all the rage in the age of Netflix, Layton finds time to see the cinematic scope in an otherwise plain story of American dumb dumbs. In spite of being produced on a more than modest budget of $3 million, Ole Bratt Birkeland brings onboard some top class cinematography that is impeccably polished yet never out of place in this small town story. Fans of British TV will recognize shades of his previous work from Season 1 of Utopia.
The camera points to a talented young cast that features Evan Peters who you may know from his outing as Quicksilver in recent X-Men films. Paired with Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk, The Killing of A Sacred Deer), the two deliver captivatingly realistic performances that will absorb you into their foray of finding existential meaning as they commit their debut robbery.
Clever choices in the editing floor ensure that this is no ordinary thriller either. Never afraid to break the rules of convention, you’ll be hard-pressed to guess where or what happens next. And thankfully, it happens fast and without any moral manipulation of the audience.
There is only a small list of films that truly exceed the preposterousness of the real life that they seek to imitate. American Animals deserves to be on that list.
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