Turn the River (2008)

Shrewd and scrappy pool hustler Kailey Sullivan (a splendid and mesmerizing performance by Famke Janssen) wants to rescue her loving son Gulley (winningly played by Jaymie Dornan) from her strict, demanding, and abusive ex-husband David (a fine portrayal by Matt Ross) and start a new life for the both of them in Canada. However, Kailey needs $50,000 bucks in order to accomplish this particular goal. Writer/director Chris Eigeman's debut feature scores strongly with its beautifully well-sustained brooding and melancholy tone and a flavorsome and fascinating evocation of a fiercely competitive underground sports culture. Better still, Eigeman admirably eschews sappy sentiment and lurid melodrama in his hard-boiled approach to Jailey's dire predicament. That said, the scenes between Jailey and Gulley are nonetheless still quite touching. Janssen positively shines in a juicy lead role; she brings a truly riveting and nuanced blend of toughness and vulnerability to the compellingly rough-hewn character of Jailey. Janssen receives bang-up support from the always wonderful Rip Torn as Jailey's wise and supportive mentor Teddy Quinette, Lois Smith as Gulley's snippy and meddlesome grandmother Abby, Marin Hinkle as David's sweet new wife Ellen, Terry Kinney as the antsy Markus, John Juback as formidable professional pool player Duncan, and Tony Robles as polished young upstart Ralph. Herman Micheal Otano's slick and prowling cinematography brims with style and energy. The moody'n'melodic score by Cloggs likewise hits the harmonic spot. This picture earns bonus points for not punking out with some phony happy ending that wraps things up all nice and neat in a bow; instead the conclusion is absolutely devastating in its startling bleakness. Highly recommended.

Hardscrabble single moms appear to be all the rage in indie dramas these days. That may account for why, after "Frozen River," "Sleepwalking" and the like, "Turn the River" doesn't feel quite as original and fresh as it otherwise might.Kailey Sullivan is a down-on-her-luck pool hustler who doesn't even have visitation rights with her 11-year-old son who lives with his abusive dad and stepmother. Kailey's plan is to make just enough money at the tables to enable her to grab the kid and head north of the border.Written and directed by Chris Eigeman, "Turn the River" has a nice feel for the rhythms and tones of everyday life, with the drama as understated as the performances. The scenes between mother and son are particularly well conceived and executed. There is sensitive, thoughtful, subtle work by Famke Janssen as Kailey; Jaymie Dornana as her son, Gulley; Matt Ross as Gulley's dad; Lois Smith as the boy's paternal grandmother; and Rip Torn as the pool hall owner who sets up matches for the cash-strapped Kailey and serves as go-between for her and her son.Even the melodrama at the end is nicely underplayed, so much so that we can forgive the air of déjà vu that hangs over much of the work.

Not exactly THE COLOR OF MONEY, or even a better than mediocre movie. The story line suffers from melancholia and lack of star power. Kailey Sullivan(Famke Janssen)is a desperate small town pool hustler. She barely gets by with poker earnings and what she can earn by picking up a pool match or two. Her mentor Teddy Quinette(Rip Torn)runs a pool hall in Manhattan called Quinns. He knows that Kailey needs money to get her son Gulley(Jaymie Dorman)away from her ex-husband(Matt Ross). "Quinn" sets up a high stakes match so Kailey can hustle enough money to sweep her son off to Canada and a brighter future. The finale is not as predictable as the rest of the movie. The title TURN THE RIVER makes little sense to me; maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to watch this. Others in the cast: Marin Hinkle, John Juback, Lois Smith and Terry Kinney. I really do like Janssen, but she was just not enough to carry this flick.

I will say that Chris Eigeman's "Turn the River" constitutes a worthy character study, but I did find it a little slow. Famke Janssen plays Kailey Sullivan, a woman with some problems in life. However, she does have one noble aim: rescuing her son (Jaymie Dornan) from his abusive father. From here, much of the movie centers on Kailey's playing pool and how it works into her plan.Like I said, this movie works best as a character study, as I found it a little slow. One thing that I wondered while watching it is how they film people playing pool. You can't tell where the balls will go when people hit them, so do the people behind the camera just film the scene over and over again until the balls go the right way? Anyway, OK seeing maybe once. Also starring Rip Torn.