blumdeluxe I was kind of surprised to see "Take me to the river" receiving such a low ranking by the community here. Though this is far away of being a Hollywood blockbuster, it uses the tools of lower budget movies well in my opinion and makes up for some lacking production value through its excellent storytelling.The movie evolves around a family reunion, the question what happened to a small girl and what secret the family keeps. In doing so, it manages to depict side topics such as identity, conservatism and pressure in families. All those topics are taken seriously and are depicted in a suitable way.The film is not always easy. There are scenes raising unpleasant questions and concerns and surely this is nothing to relax after work. But it shows quite well how a family in a certain environment can become a perfect host to injustice and cruelty. There might be other movies dealing with the same topic, there might even be better ones. But "Take me to the river" is in itself an excellent movie and I don't have much criticism.

Sil Yes, most movies coming out of Hollywood are formulaic, unoriginal and always follow a very restricted set of structures and stories. Yes, movies that are out of the mold, more subtle and that appeal to the intelligent participation of the viewers are to be cherished.Still, I found Take me to the river way too cryptic. There aren't enough clues to hazard one or two solid interpretations. The storytelling is too open, and one leaves frustrated.I like open-ended, I don't like non-stories.On the plus side, the acting is very good, and the atmosphere is as electrical as it is sexually charged, for those who like suspense and do not dislike being taken a little outside their comfort zone.In my opinion, with a little reworked screenplay, it could have been a very good, perhaps an outstanding film.

Red_Identity A film that feels like it's good, but it's really rather insufferable at every turn, with characters doing really stupid, nonsensical things. It feels like a film that the director thought was really something quite special and that feeling makes you dislike it more. I guess it's not awful, and there's something to say for it always kind of remaining interesting, but that also makes you feel more cheated because it feels like it has a lot of things going on under the surface and it really doesn't. Definitely infuriating, no doubt. The acting is solid for the most part, although there is some broad characterization in some of the performances. Just not very recommended, in all honesty.

A_Different_Drummer In other reviews I have talked about the hidden eco-system within the modern film. It is a system with its own boundaries and borders and rhythms. Most Hollywood films do not explore the possibilities of this world in depth, but Sobel more than makes up for that in this film. Every shot, every scene, every nuance of the incredibly sparse dialog shows you what is possible, how to get the most from the least.It is a good solid effort and if you are hooked by the opening premise, you will be hooked all the way through.That said, I was surprised when I read the IMDb "summary" for the film because the information there goes far beyond the clues and puzzle pieces in then actual film, and frankly that summary "assumes" the viewer has access to more information about the story (right off the top) than than most viewers will actually have.The acting is first rate. Watching what happens when the world's most naive 17 year old boy meets the world's most sophisticated 9 year old "Lolita" is like watching a play within a play. And works on many levels since, in spite of the sparse dialog, the story itself is like an onion, with layers to peel back as you try to understand it.Big fan of Weigert ever since Deadwood, where she stole entire episodes from heavyweight actors.Recommended.