Man from Reno

the mystery of the movie is intriguing and one that had me guessing what's going on the whole movie. It has competent directing. But like often with these elaborate plotted movies there's less space and time for decent characterizations, luckily Ayako Fujitani and Pepe Serna give it all and save what's there to safe.

Quite enjoyable low-key mystery thriller which features interesting characters and good acting, but sometimes gets a little too slow-paced and incomprehensible. The parts that worked, worked well. Other sections of the film felt like they should have been cut. The reveals came quite late in the story, so the viewer spends a long time in the dark. I would like to see more of this actress and director.

Some of the critical turning points of the story were handled badly & led to confusion rather than intrigue. The main character is a sweet woman, but I quickly got tired of the unnecessary amounts of spoken Japanese & English subtitles. The police characters were good but they were basically just fumbling around. I liked the twisty non conventional ending, but it too was delivered quite poorly. Overall I was interested throughout but ultimately disappointed.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Really liked Fujitani in this, but Serna, who has a good look for the role, didn't carry his weight; a different actor, with better chemistry with Fujitani could have made a huge difference. In terms of the story, it seemed like the director wanted to avoid Hollywood conventions, but struggled to find a better alternative.

slippery. every decision of the lead (perhaps both leads!) springs subtly from the death of a character many years prior to the movie. cultures, identities, stories and roles are traded in ways that find humour and pathos in both the immigrant experience and the creative process. many will dislike the nihilism of the darkly ironic finale, but it is a noir after all. this'd make a neat double bill with (the far superior) TWIXT; both 'airport paperback' genre flicks with sneaky emotional heft.

Thoroughly enjoyable noirish thriller that carries its rather depressed mood well throughout. The film carries an up-to-date feel that is often missed in American productions, largely due to the willingness of the filmmakers to employ actors from a variety of ethnic backgrounds in key roles. The film cleverly provides a sense of distinction in the immigrant experience--contrasting the rootedness of the sheriff with the dislocation of the author. And the ending is especially well done.

Slow. Stiff. Creaky. Not as stylish/noir-ish as it maybe thinks it is. You've seen it done before--LOTS before. And usually better, to boot.