Rudderless review

RUDDERLESS (R)
Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films
Review by Adam Mast

RUDDERLESS  is the purest musical since ONCE, and as is the case with that Irish charmer, this isn’t the type of musical where characters break into song every couple of minutes in order to move the plot along. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m a big fan of the traditional musical. I love THE SOUND OF MUSIC, WEST SIDE STORY, and GREASE just as much as the next guy, but once in a while, it’s refreshing when a musical like RUDDERLESS comes along. The songs here don’t just tell the story…The story is actually about the songs.

RUDDERLESS follows Sam (beautifully played by Billy Crudup), a grieving father on a downward spiral who has a cathartic awakening after coming across, and listening to, a box of demo tapes he never knew existed. Anton Yelchin plays Quentin, a sweet natured twenty-something who immediately takes a liking to the tunes after he hears Sam playing them on his acoustic guitar. Eventually, Quentin convinces Sam to join him on stage at a local open mic night and before long, this seemingly odd duo form a band and quickly become the talk of the town.

RUDDERLESS was directed by the wonderful actor William H. Macy (he also has a supporting role in the film.) His warm personality shines through in this heartfelt directorial debut, and despite the fact that RUDDERLESS doesn’t shy away from challenging the viewer with some fairly dark subject matter, I found myself smiling throughout the majority of this infectiously likable movie.

The screenplay by Jeff Robison, Casey Twenter, and Macy transcends conventionality by way of a deep rooted honesty, a complex character in Sam, and a devastating detour at the midway point, a detour that adds a powerful layer to this surprisingly provocative film. Impressively though, there’s nothing gimmicky about the rough road this picture ultimately takes. It’s all in direct service of the story.

Crudup is fantastic here and this is probably his best work since his turn as Russell Hammond in Cameron Crowe’s magical love letter to rock n’ roll,  ALMOST FAMOUS. As Sam, Crudup is asked to play a varying degree of emotions. This is a  flawed, confused man who ultimately confronts an insurmountable level of emotional pain through the healing power of music. While that might sound overly sentimental, Crudup totally sells it.

Anton Yelchin is an undeniable beacon of light in this picture, and he manages to make the inevitable fatherly bond that develops between Quentin and Sam feel genuine rather than labored and superficial. Rounding out the cast are an entertaining if a tad underused Laurence Fishburne as a words-of-wisdom spouting music shop owner, and a solid Felicity Huffman as Sam’s estranged wife.

If the direction, the performances, and the writing are the expertly crafted seams, then it’s the stirring, emotionally charged music by Eef Barzelay, Simon Steadman, Charlton Pettus, and Ben Limpic that serve as the glue that holds RUDDERLESS together. This is a great movie! Particularly if you’re a music fan. Don’t miss it.

RUDDERLESS opens in limited release on October 17^th and will expand to more cities shortly after.