‘Laws of Man’ Review: U.S. Marshals Chase Their Tails in a Lukewarm Cold War Thriller

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In the film “Laws of Man,” directed by Phil Blattenberger, ambition appears to exceed skill. The intricate plot twists and turns like a labyrinth, but unfortunately, it feels more like a futile chase that lacks the necessary wild intensity. The action and atmosphere are insufficiently developed, resulting in a film that is mostly talkative, awkward, and unconvincing for this attempt at a vintage noir-style thriller.

Set in 1963, the narrative takes an unexpected leap towards the end, hinting at a level of Cold War paranoia reminiscent of films like “Dr. Strangelove” and “Winter Kills.” However, the satirical element necessary to pull off this audacious move is largely missing, leaving the overall effect peculiar yet not particularly engaging.

Saban will be releasing this feature in U.S. theaters, digital platforms, and On Demand services on January 10th.

Operating out of Carson City, Frank (Jacob Keohane) and Tommy (Jackson Rathbone) are federal law enforcement agents, venturing 15 hours into the most isolated parts of Nevada’s desert landscape to apprehend Crash Mooncalf (Richard Brake) and his band of criminals. A firefight erupts, resulting in the deaths of all their targets, highlighting the stark contrast between these two mismatched law enforcers.

Frank is strictly traditional, often rigid due to his struggles with PTSD from his military service during World War 2, which is depicted in intense flashbacks. On the other hand, young Tommy is impulsive and reckless, enjoying his fair share of wine, women, and disregarding any rules that are present. When they arrive at a run-down motel for the night, Tommy swiftly befriends a seemingly elegant woman in red (played by Ashley Gallegos as Dinah), who initially claims she’s not a prostitute, but later demands $20 for her company. Frank, after engaging in casual conversation with the bartender Callie (Kelly Lynn Reiter), typically retreats to his room for the night, where he will be haunted by his usual combat-related nightmares.

The following day, they received another search warrant. This time, it was intended for Benjamin Bonney, a local rancher (played by Dermot Mulroney), who, along with his rowdy sons, is accused of murdering those unwilling to hand over their land to him. Once more, our protagonists are met with gunfire, but on this occasion, they successfully enter the premises — only to hear the Bonneys mockingly inform them that the warrant has been withdrawn. A phone call verified this information.

It’s apparent that a secret plot is unfolding, shielding the culprits involved. Despite no longer being assigned to this case, the disgruntled marshals choose to stay and uncover the truth behind it. Characters who appear later in the story include an FBI agent Tommy had clashed with during the Korean War (Christopher El), his cold-hearted superior (Keith Carradine), and a foreign scientist (Chase Gutzmore) working on a highly classified project.

Despite the quirky portrayal of Graham Greene as a county sheriff, it appears that many veteran actors seem to lack seriousness in their roles – this is particularly evident in Harvey Keitel’s portrayal of an elderly spiritual guide in an RV, who seems to have wandered in from another film. Unfortunately, the main characters and supporting actors are expected to play their roles sincerely, which doesn’t seem to benefit them. The dialogue they receive, meant to be tough but realistic, often comes across as stiff, and the scenarios and behaviors feel forced. The frequent use of gunfire by the overzealous characters, seemingly with minimal impact on their surroundings, suggests that the film is reminding us these are just actors using blanks – it’s almost as if they were mockingly saying, “Bang! Bang! Bang!” instead of actual gunshots.

In a simpler and more conversational tone,

“Despite being set in a rural area with a small cast, ‘Laws of Man’ fails to create an authentic feel for the period. It seems challenging for actors portraying federal agents from decades ago not to have hairstyles that look like they belong in the early 90s, such as what Brad Pitt sported back then. These and other noticeable details take away from the believability that Blattenberger doesn’t build up from the start.

In his script, there are plenty of opportunities for left turns, suggesting that perhaps the director initially envisioned a more spontaneous, absurd adventure. However, due to financial constraints and other factors, this vision was tamed. The end result is rather humorless, making the actors appear awkward in scenes that could have been funny if they were played as dry comedy – a tone that doesn’t seem to be pursued or even attained in this production.

Similarly, the design aspects for pedestrians prevent “Laws of Man” from reaching greater heights. The cinematography by Daniel Troyer and the original score by Ching-Shan Chang mirror the standard competence of yesteryear’s B-movies, but without any flair or wit. “Laws of Man” does eventually lead to an unexpected place. However, the journey is often clumsy, making the final destination just another idea that it fails to effectively or skillfully execute.

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2025-01-10 04:17