Finestkind Movie Review: Appears Stuck in Another Era, Unable to Find its Own Direction
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Jenna Ortega, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace
Director: Brian Helgeland
Streaming Platform: Paramount+
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 2.5/5 (two and a half stars)
With Finestkind, which premiered on September 8 this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, the screenwriter of Mystic River – as well as Oscar winner in 1998 for the non-original screenplay of L.A. Confidential – returns to his native Massachusetts to tell the almost Shakespearean story of two half-brothers who, after years apart, reconnect by working side by side aboard a fishing boat, while trying to come to terms of the complex relationship with their respective fathers. Brian Helgeland brings to the screen a story particularly dear to him, being personally part of a fishing family in New Bedford and having had his hand in the film’s plot several times, after a first draft dating back 25 years ago. Unfortunately, however, as we will see in our review of Finestkind, the numerous rewrites that have taken place over the years have left the film stuck in another era, unable to find its direction.
As a result, even the cast, who nevertheless do a good job, navigate the choppy waters of a narrative that seems to have lost its way. Finestkind, a 2023 thriller written and directed by Brian Helgeland available on Paramount+ starting December 16 is one of them. Produced by Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment, Bosque Ranch Productions, 101 Studios, and MTV Entertainment Studios, it was presented at TIFF last September. This is a long-running project, which in the years starting from 2018 has changed cast and caused quite a few controversies. It’s finally out in the world, and the judgment is up to the public.
Finestkind Movie Review: The Story Plot
Two half-brothers raised in different worlds try to reconnect with each other in the troubled waters of New Bedford, Massachusetts as they start working together in the commercial fishing industry. After a deal goes wrong with some Boston traffickers, however, the two will find themselves having to make important decisions. After graduating from high school, Charlie (Toby Wallace) decides to spend the summer working alongside his half-brother Tom (Ben Foster) – the two are children of his mother (Lolita Davidovich) – aboard his fishing boat. Despite his total inexperience, Charlie proves to be a quick learner, falling in love with the job and making friends with the rest of the crew, as he begins to grow close to Mabel (Jenna Ortega), the brilliant daughter of a drug dealer who is trying to find her way in life.
However, when the vessel is put out of action due to an explosion that pierces its hull, Tom argues with the contractor who was supposed to take care of the maintenance of the fishing vessel and ends up losing his job. His father Ray (Tommy Lee Jones) comes forward and suggests he go out to sea on his boat, the Finestkind, for a scallop fishing expedition. But, against Ray’s instructions, Tom pushes the boat to Canadian waters, attracting the attention of the Coast Guard, and seizes the Finestkind. In an attempt to raise the money to regain possession of the fishing boat, Tom, Charlie, and Mabel go into business with some Boston traffickers, becoming entangled in something bigger than themselves.
Finestkind Movie Review and Analysis
Technically, apart from some writing problems in the dialogues, Finestkind is not a bad film. Simply it’s too little of everything. It’s too little sentimental, too little thriller, and too little crime. The action scenes are too little intense and exciting, the same goes for those of serious and heartfelt dialogue between the characters. This film is neither fowl nor fowl, neither bad nor good. It simply exists in the middle. Anyone who can empathize with the story, with Mabel, with Tom, and with Charlie will perhaps appreciate it. We are all left with a shrug of the shoulders. The characters are too few too. The two plots, that of crime and the chain of rash decisions that lead the crew to risk their lives and the family one are intertwined, but leave us with superficial characters, neither bad nor good but not realistic for this reason. A lot of things are explained to us, obsessively, which completely breaks the connection with the story and its pawns, the story itself appears sketched together with its characters, who are never enough in it.
Once again, the female characters are even more simplified, as they speak in stock phrases and are extremely stereotypical. Ben Foster is Tom, the sea dog’s brother. Toby Wallace is Charlie, the promising brother. Jenna Ortega is Mabel, the girl who steals his heart. Tommy Lee Jones is Ray Eldridge, Tom’s father. The cast also includes Tim Daly (Dennis Sykes), Clayne Crawford (Pete Weeks), and Aaron Stanford (Skeemo). To make Finestkind, director Brian Helgeland – himself coming from a fishing family in New Bedford, Massachusetts – dusted off a screenplay dating back about a quarter of a century (which would have featured Heath Ledger in the role of Charlie) on which, over the years, he changed his hands several times before obtaining the product that we can see today on Paramount+. Perhaps precisely because it is the result of numerous rewrites over time, however, the film not only appears to be stuck in another era but, above all, it never seems to be able to find its direction.
For more than the first half of the film, we witness a sort of coming-of-age drama in which Charlie learns the trade of a fisherman and forms a bond with his older half-brother, who until then had been a stranger. A story full of rhetoric and bizarre jokes, intended to convey the message of how parents want a better life for their children than the one they had. When, however, the family drama seems to exhaust the (already few) arrows in its bow, we find ourselves faced with a sudden turning point: the narrative takes on that thriller bent which, from the synopsis, seemed to be the driving force of the film but which, instead, arrives late, with hasty development and two-dimensional characters. It’s a shame because the encouraging premises of Finestkind would certainly have deserved a more careful structural rethinking, capable of providing the film with a very specific direction.
Such confusion in the screenplay could only make the work of the cast heavier which, fortunately, can count in particular on its two actors such as Tommy Lee Jones and Ben Foster who certainly have the right face to dress the roles of two men hardened by life. Tommy Lee Jones in fact (and despite everything) does an excellent job in the role of the irascible sea dog now put out of action by an incurable cancer, managing to make the myriad of rhetorical and redundant jokes entrusted to his character almost credible. Even Ben Foster, appreciated for his work as a character actor, gives us a more than satisfactory performance in the role of a solitary fisherman who sees the only escape route from complex family dynamics. Together with the latter, Toby Wallace – who instead struggles to stay afloat in the rough waters of Finestkind – forms a fairly close-knit couple, even if it doesn’t appear It’s very clear how the two manage to form such a solid bond in such a short time and after so many years apart.
Finestkind Movie Review: The Last Words
The numerous rewrites that have taken place over the years have made Finestkind a film that appears stuck in another era, unable to find its direction. As a result, even the cast, who nevertheless do a good job, navigate the rough waters of a narrative that seems to have lost its way. Finally, we have Jenna Ortega, relegated for most of the film to the role of Charlie’s love interest, and for the remainder of the film, a character forced to navigate between being, at the same time, the charming girl with whom anyone could fall in love and the tough girl (at times a little out of line) who is not afraid to face the gang of traffickers head-on. The result is an ambiguous and confusing role, exactly like the entire film.
Finestkind Movie Review: Appears Stuck in Another Era, Unable to Find its Own Direction - Filmyhype
Director: Brian Helgeland
Date Created: 2023-12-16 14:21
2.5
Pros
- Gripping performances: The cast, particularly Ben Foster and Toby Wallace as the estranged brothers, deliver powerful and nuanced performances that carry the film.
- Vivid atmosphere: The cinematography masterfully captures the gritty realism of Boston's criminal underworld and the stark beauty of the Atlantic coastline, creating a palpable sense of tension and contrast.
- Solid direction: Writer-director Brian Helgeland crafts a well-paced and visually striking film, showcasing his experience in the crime thriller genre.
- Moral ambiguity: The film avoids clear-cut heroes and villains, exploring the gray areas of morality and the complexities of family relationships within the criminal world.
- Themes of redemption: Although not fully explored, the film touches on interesting themes of second chances, loyalty, and the struggle for redemption amidst a harsh reality.
Cons
- Familiar plot: The story of estranged brothers caught in the Boston underworld treads on familiar ground, lacking originality and surprise twists.
- Uneven pacing: The film drags at times, particularly in the first half, and the rushed ending feels jarring and unsatisfying.
- Underdeveloped characters: While the performances are strong, some characters, particularly the supporting cast, could have benefited from more depth and development.
- Clichéd elements: The film occasionally falls back on genre clichés, which may feel predictable for seasoned crime thriller viewers.
- Unanswered questions: Certain plot points and character motivations remain unexplained, leaving viewers with a sense of incompleteness.
