So, what is Ami Canaan Mann‘s “Texas Killing Fields“? A rountine cops ‘n killers flick or is it something for more disturbing, atmospheric and moody? We have to admit, the first trailer for the film didn’t exactly leave us with much optimism, however, this latest look does make a small case for its inclusion in the competition lineup at the Venice Film Festival.
Our pals over at C7nema have tipped us to four clips from the film that certainly seem to bring more depth than the rather boilerplate trailer did. Three of the four clips here are focused much more on character and mood than on shoot ’em up action (though the fourth clip covers that territory with ease) which makes us hope that the premise won’t just be used as to deliver a by-the-numbers procedural. Based on a true story, the film revolves around a series of unsolved murders in League City, Texas, where 21 women were killed or have disappeared since 1971. There is dusty, sweat infused atmosphere floating here that we like, but on the other hand, Sam Worthington‘s wandering accent continues to be a distraction. Jessica Chastain nicely roughs up the wifely image she’s developing early in her career, while Jeffrey Dean Morgan casts an imposing presence. Certainly for Mann, she aimed to capture with true life situation without any gloss.
“My objective was to portray these people, this town and these circumstances with as much authenticity as possible. I felt like the way to do that was to dive into these real people and that real town and those real places,” Mann recently told IndieWire. “I tried to make it feel real, to sink the audience into that environment by making that environment not seem false.”
We’ll see soon if the results have paid off. We’ll have a review from Venice soon, but if you’re not on the Lido, the film will hit theaters on October 14th (recently moved back one week from its previously announced October 7th bow). Check out the clips below.
