Simply Perfect

A Disappointing Continuation

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

1864. The civil war between North and South is intense and nearing its end. Will (Ashton Sanders) and Marcus (Keston John) try to earn some money during their miserable existence as a slave and serve as bait for the bounty hunter Burell (Bill Oberst Jr.). By using their directions, Burell captures escaped slaves and they receive a small portion of the premium. Strange but true. I didn't know oppressed slaves were misused like this. Their survival instinct drives them to do such insidious practices and thus betray their own fellow-sufferers. They seek the company of those white bounty hunters, so they are safe for other white men. A contradictory situation. On the one hand there's this sense of security. But then they are still under the rule of ruthless bounty hunters, who have no human feeling whatsoever for black people who they see as inferior.Will's life basically revolves solely around treason. Treachery towards his own people and treachery also towards himself. Deep down he feels resentment and remorse about the fact that he's forced to chase poor women and children into the hands of these bounty hunters. The ultimate task Burell asks them to do, is a search for the runaway slave Nate (Tishuan Scott) who buries fallen soldiers in the north. The reward probably will be sufficient enough to buy back their freedom. They just need to convince Nate to return with them. To accomplish that they use the excuse of a dying brother who wants to see Nate one more time.The feeling of guilt that's bothering Will, grows even stronger because of the bond of trust that grows in between him and Nate. The lack of a father figure in his young life begins to weigh and Will starts to look up at Nate. When both of them save each other's lives during the trip, Will's resistance against the original plan begins to rise. He's forced to take a well-defined hard decision."The Retrieval" is, just like the movie "Django Unchained", an attempt to show the life of an African-American from a completely different angle. Django was a free Afro-American. An individual who had the same rights as his white oppressor. In the eyes of these white masters this was unacceptable and hard to accept. Here, African Americans are forced to commit terrible acts. And they committed these acts merely to safeguard their own lives in these tragic and disgraceful times. Unfortunately, there is an oversupply of genres in this film. It's a war movie (with brief excerpts from the battlefield), a drama about slavery, a kind of road movie and finally a coming of age story. All these genres together make that the movie can go in any direction.The interaction between Will and Nate is the most interesting portion of the film. A masterly combination of poignant conversations. Maybe this unvarnished version without stunning backgrounds and colorful images shows a more realistic view than the bigger Hollywood productions. The barren winter landscape with its gray, pale colors underline the human sorrow and melancholy tone of the story. Perhaps the pace is a bit too slow, but this is compensated by the dynamic between the taciturn old slave and the with doubts haunted young boy. Perhaps "The Retrieval" is technically inferior compared to "12 Years a Slave", but content wise it's maybe stronger.More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

The American Civil War remains one of the most profoundly monumental events in world history. Over 200 years after the first cannon shot rang out in Fort Sumter, signaling the start of hostilities, the scars remain in the collective psyches of Americans from sea to shining sea. For many Southern-born Americans, the Civil War had its origins in Northern aggression; the oppressive federal government appeared to actively be engaging in tactics meant to usurp and undermine Southern culture and their right to self-govern. To Northern-born Americans, the issue was and remains quite simply black and white; the Southern states were slave-trading and benefited from an economy formed by evil and racist means. Morally, this could not be allowed any longer. While the guns have fallen silent and the Civil War debates are definitely more civil than war now, the four year struggle for control of the fate of an entire nation has produced outstanding books, award winning documentaries, and a handful of fine films set in this most turbulent of times. 'The Retrieval' is both an outstanding film set in the American Civil War, as well as a further example, if one were still needed, of the maturation of the acting skills of Bill Oberst. Jr. My first exposure to Bill Oberst Jr. as an actor was his starring role as Abraham Lincoln in 'Abraham Lincoln Versus Zombies', a rare 'mockbuster' genre entry that surpasses the quality of the bigger-budget film it was made to chase the success of; in that instance, the morose and direction-less 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'. I was struck by the seriousness by which Oberst chose to portray Lincoln; unlike the over-the-top, cartoon superhero found in 'Vampire Hunter', the Abe Lincoln in 'Zombies' was a sombre leader of men who soberly assessed the unnatural threat that has literally arose around him. Even while dispatching zombie hordes with a scythe, Oberst's artistic choices to stay true to the dignity and poise that Lincoln embodied as an historical character of great import rose 'Zombies' above the dubious quality of other mockbuster fare. Here was an actor who displayed gravitas towards a film role when he didn't have to; here was an actor who brought 'Honest Abe' to life by being honest to him. Oberst's earnest delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation at the film's conclusion was the final deciding factor; I was a Bill Oberst Jr. fan, because here was an actor's actor who would do his utmost to respect the characters he portrayed. In his film and TV career, Oberst has continued to approach characters, many of whom have been irredeemable, evil characters, honestly. He doesn't try to sugar-coat them, he doesn't try to get the audience on his side by blunting or downplaying what these people are and what they are capable of. As a fan, I of course sought out other films in which he appeared, and was delighted to discover that, more often than not, his performances would invariably be the highlight of many films he appeared in. In the case of 'The Retrieval', a film in which as a fan I am permitted to come full circle upon, having been so impressed with his previous Civil War-era work, he benefits from a stellar cast around him. Given the opportunity to work with others of his acting caliber, armed with a strong script, an engaged director, and isolated outdoor locations that give a much broader sweep of area for him to work, Oberst delivers another strong performance. The character in which Oberst portrays, the bounty hunter Burrel, is definitely the 'heavy' of the piece. He frames the film, appearing both in the opening minutes as well as the last, and his presence informs the work throughout. He is inarguably the most important character, by virtue of the simple fact that every decision taken by every other character is as a result of his words and deeds. Will, an orphaned slave whose only remaining familial connection is an opportunistic collaborator of an uncle, is both forced into a life of turning members of his own race in to Burrel as well as subsisting on the scraps of financial rewards for doing so. His story is thus one of being sold out himself; as a white slave profiteer Burrel is at least honest about what he does, while Uncle Marcus fools himself and attempts to convince Will that what they do is a temporary measure in order to gain the necessary resources to escape. T he moral complexity of 'The Retrieval' makes for fascinating viewing, buoyed by strong performances throughout. Given such meaty material to work with, the cast in general and Bill Oberst Jr in particular are afforded the opportunity to delve deep into their characters. Ashton Saunders as Will reveals an acting depth far above his youth, as he makes fine use of facial expressions and simple but meaningful glances to convey the character's confusion and sadness the adult burdens fostered upon him by his circumstances. Tishuan Scott is wonderful, lending weight to a character that becomes a father figure to Will, as well as a counter-point to Keston John's Marcus, providing a moral guidepost for Will to follow. He brings a deep sense of dignity to the part, conveying a man beaten down by life yet still capable of providing kindness to a young boy trapped in the moral hell of the American Civil War.

This slow-paced but compelling and powerful tale is probably geared towards a certain audience, those having the patience to allow characters to develop and a story to unfold in its' own timing. The movie kept me absorbed and guessing till the end what the outcome would be. There's a strong sense of realism, fine cinematography, and first rate acting here.As mentioned, the acting leads in the film are all top-notch. Set in 1864, in the woods of Virginia (although I read the movie was actually shot in Texas) as the Civil War raged, a young boy Will (Ashton Sanders) and his uncle Marcus (Keston John) have been forced, under penalty of death, to work for the vicious slave hunter Burrell (Bill Oberst Jr.).Will and Marcus have been given the assignment of traveling North to find a man called Nate (Tishuan Scott), who is digging graves for the Union Army. They are told to use the ruse that Nate's brother is dying (although he's already passed) and that he's requested to see Nate one last time.When they find Nate they convince him to travel back South, and a good part of the film will revolve around the perils and travails the men and the boy will face through the Virginia woods and swamps, as Civil War battles occur all around them.To me, the heart of the movie is the bonding that occurs between Nate and Will, and the continual tension whether Will will let Nate know he's walking into a trap. It will all culminate in a haunting and shocking finale that stayed with me for quite a while.I thought this was a fine effort from Chris Eska, who wrote and directed the movie. I would be interested in seeing any future efforts he comes up with.

Don't care for movies about slavery? Feel that there is nothing new or profound left to be discerned from such a well beaten premise? Would you rather not be blatantly reminded of the horrors of the civil war period of history? Well, dear movie viewer, let me allay your fears and reassure you that there is no need for hesitance in regards to watching this wonderful film. Is there killing in this movie? Yes. However, this is not done so as to pander to the audience. This is not violence for violence's sake. Nor did I get the sense that the intent was to dredge up feelings of guilt in it's viewers. This film is unique in the sense that it is the only movie about slavery which is not centered on the depiction of travesties but is instead a morality play about universal themes such as love, longing, regret, hope, kindness, selfishness, doubt and resolve. The casting is top notch as all the characters, from the young lead to the smallest cameo's, are utterly believable. Period detail and cinematography are also exceptional. There have been many films on this subject and in my opinion The Retrieval stands shoulder to shoulder with classics like Glory and Ride with the Devil. A must see.