Red State is what it is. There's nothing that makes it
terrible, but worse there is nothing that makes it remarkable either. The film
plays out as well as can be expected, and it can't be faulted for that.
The films focus is three boys who
travel to a woman's house soliciting sex. After being drugged, they awaken in
Five Points Church, home of religious extremist Abin Cooper. Cooper is a
radical who believes homosexuality is evil and he is personally willing to
eradicate the world of the problem. Throughout the course of the story, all
hell breaks loose.
I enjoyed watching Melissa Leo as
the daughter of Abin Cooper. She always delves deep into her roles no matter
the character. Michael Parks was also notable as Abin Cooper, a very messed up
man. Otherwise, the performances were merely good, nothing to write home about.
At times, the film felt like it
was driving the point home too hard, and Cooper's speeches were uncomfortably
long. It's not a big deal considering I understand Kevin Smith's idea for the
film, but really, it didn't add anything.
When thinking back, all I can say
about Red State is that I was interested. It was nowhere near
perfect, but there were enough surprises to warrant credit for creativity. I
can't say whether or not people will, generally, be offended by the material,
and even Kevin Smith has said it's not an anti-religion movie, but Red State was mostly a good film.
