River ***½ (2015, Rossif Sutherland, Douangmany Soliphanh, Sara Botsford, Ted Atherton, David Soncin, Aidan Gillett) – Movie Review

Writer-director Jamie M Dagg makes his feature debut with this strong, involving, credible thriller, a lesson in how to craft tension and dynamism in film-making. Rossif Sutherland is excellent as the American volunteer doctor hero who witnesses a rape and intervenes to help a young woman. He goes on the run after the Aussie assailant’s body is pulled from the Mekong River of the title.

Sutherland really made me identify with his character’s dilemmas, mistakes, obstinacy and sense of honour and fair play at whatever cost. River is beautifully made and shot too, looking great on those eye-catching, rarely seen Laos locations. Cue praise for Adam Marsden’s cinematography.

Dagg: tense and moral

As director, Dagg keeps it commendably tense and, as writer, he keeps it commendably moral, which makes a very refreshing change as that is not something considered that much these days. A contemporary thriller with a moral dimension, well, well!

It all looks smooth and easy, but I guess that hides a lot of work, sweat, toil and effort – the list of 13 credits producers is a bit of a giveaway there.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Movie Review

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