CineVegas Film Festival 2008

Wit and comic verve are the twin props of this alternately charming and biting satire. PATRIOTVILLE humorously explores the roles greed and corruption have played in the slow deterioration of small-town America. Talmage Cooley crafts a timely story with a delightful mix of characters who will have you laughing and thinking throughout. Chase Revere, a museum manager in the town of Patriotville, believes in the ideals that America was built on. Preserving the past is his way of believing in the future. His town is down on its luck and Chase’s efforts to preserve its history do not garner much support. The town Mayor has his own idea of how to save it — by luring a group of Native Americans to build their new casino in Patriotville. The promise of quick riches send the townsfolk into an uproar. But is anyone telling the truth about anything? Patriotville is a playful and clever film with a story that couldn't be more relevant to today's issues. Justin Long lends his wonderfully droll sense of humor to a role tailor-made for him. He is surrounded by terrific supporting actors, including the beautiful Emmanuelle Chriqui as Chase’s secret-keeping love interest, and Rob Corddry, who nearly steals the show as the town’s corrupt mayor. PATRIOTVILLE marks the emergence of a talented new director and underscores the endearing qualities of satire, comic inspiration and the American way.

A family on the brink of starvation struggles for survival in Depression-era rural America. While the fervently spiritual patriarch of the family tries in vain to provide for his family, his daughter goes to extremes to hide an affair from him. Yet as their way of life erodes and they run out of money and food, the family's moral rectitude intensifies. One saving grace may be the beautiful forest that surrounds the family's homestead, providing a fairytale backdrop into which the family hopes it can escape. Yet this scenario isn't nearly that harmonious — this struggle is man vs. nature. Only after complete dissolution can the family be reborn. First-time director Asiel Norton's similar background to what is portrayed in the film provides a tone that makes REDLAND pure. The desolate American morality play is reminiscent of early John Sayles, with vivid characters bringing to life a fascinating history lesson. The characters succumb to the hallucinations of their hunger, both for food and for love. It all adds to REDLAND’s dreamy style, which also features the most luscious widescreen cinematography you may see all year.