BLOW THE MAN DOWN – A Review by John Strange
Easter Cove, a scenic fishing village in Maine looks like your stereotypical “Murder She Wrote” village. But Cabot Cove this most village most certainly isn’t. The village seemed to be doing well in these uncertain times but then Mary Margaret Connolly, a beloved town matriarch dies and it all begins to unravel.
At the center of the action are Mary Margaret’s daughters, Priscilla (Sophie Lowe) and Mary Beth (Morgan Saylor), that she left to deal with her business and debt. Slowly we learn that the elder daughter, Priscilla, wants to stay in town and make a go of the business while her younger sister, Mary Beth, wants to find a way to get out of there.
Mary Beth’s wild bad-girl nature gets her into a jam that starts their lives spiraling out of control. And swirling around them and stirring the water, even more, are three matriarchs who are determined to step into the power vacuum left by their friend’s death.
Susie Gallagher (June Squibb), Doreen Burke (Marceline Hugot), and Gail Maguire (Annette O’Toole) set themselves as the new moral center of the village. They decide they want Enid Nora Devlin (Margo Martindale) and her “girls” out of business and out of town.
The plotlines, like the lives of the residents of the village, are tightly intertwined much like a lace doily you might see in an antique home. None of these lives are exciting but the story is interesting to watch unfold.
Perhaps as a counter to the darkness of the movie, the filmmakers have inserted several acapella performances of sea chanties that are truly excellent to experience.
Don’t expect a happy ending or even a satisfying one. It just is. And a solid 3 stars for the solid performances delivered despite the bleakness of the storyline.
Directed by: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy
Cast: David Coffin, David Pridemore, Adam Wolf Mayerson, Mark S. Cartier, Meredith Holzman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Sophie Lowe, Morgan Saylor, June Squibb, Marceline Hugot, Annette O’Toole, Linda Shary, Margo Martindale, Owen Burke, Skipp Sudduth
MPAA Rating: R (for language, some violence, sexual material and brief drug use)
Selig Rating: 3 Stars
Runtime: 90 Min.
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
