Blood Orange (2016)

Better Late Then Never

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

The first must-see film of the year.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Toby Tobias, Writer and Director, says 'Blood Orange' is not what it seems and he is right. This noir film draws you in from the start and keeps you on tenterhooks as at no point can you guess what will happen next when the plot twists cleverly again till the last shot. In a stunning location with only four actors (Iggy Pop, Kacey Clarke, Ben Lamb and Antonio Magro) your sympathies change direction as the story develops. The reason for this being the truth of the characters and how they reflect our stories and lives. Life, death, love, sex, relationships, money and their impact! The main musical theme by Tim Arnold works incredibly well setting the mood and moving alongside the action. You leave deep in thought about your own life choices with the strains of Money Kills Love playing in your head!

Iggy Pop, though not a super actor, does his bit well...after all, he is playing an aging, 'sex, drugs and rock & roll' Rock star! (smile). While watching you enter into conversations from the main characters,.... trying to decipher where it started...as what you would do, if you were to mingle into someone else's conversation at a party....but you won't start to grasp it until a little while in, as the movie and characters start to develop. I found it intriguing, and being a major 'Secret Squirrel' fan, I am easily bored with thrillers that haven't taken the time to be inventive, have so many loopholes and you've worked out 'who done it' within the first 5 minutes! This movie is NOT one of those. With this movie, your intrigue into the characters backgrounds, keeps the momentum up and glued to the screen, leading you into a few directions, that clear up some unanswered questions you might have. Admittedly, the 'slooth' in me, had a spark about a third of the way through of what the conclusion would be, but it kept me questioning and in self doubt until right at the end! Well worth the watch for a low budget movie....well, I'm not sure what Iggy would have commanded, but movies like this I remember, as it's the Director that should be applauded for managing to keep us enthralled.

How on earth does this movie only have two reviews (so far) on IMDb?The casting couldn't have been better and Iggy Pop is a stand out as an old rock star. Hmmm... I wonder how that could be!Everyone except the dopey pool boy has a plan and they unfold at a leisurely pace until the final line is spoken.It's difficult to talk about the movie without giving the game away but I was reminded of a similar movie in both style and substance... the superb 1987 noir (yes, noir), Black Widow... and the similar movies that it spawned.This is an 'adult' thriller... there's not much in the way of actual violence. No shouting and no infernal young people in the way. Any thinking person and fan of legato measured dramas will enjoy this.The songs are well chosen, the photography is exquisite and there's not a second wasted.

I watched it solely because I was curious how Iggy Pop acts. I didn't have high expectations, so I can't say I was disappointed. The actors seem to have done their job, but the weakness of the movie is actually the script. Nothing interesting happened in the first half of the movie. The characters themselves were quite boring and could not support the movie, despite the acting performances, which were OK.I might have missed something interesting from the second half of the movie, but I didn't care enough to see what that was. I could see myself watching the whole thing if I was at home in the evening and I only had basic cable.