At Close Range

Director: James Foley
Screenplay:
Starring: Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Kiefer Sutherland, Crispin Glover, Mary Stuart Masterson
Country: US
Running Time: 115m
Year: 1986

Director James Foley’s most interesting work of note recently was the two Fifty Shades sequels. Before that, a run of middle of the road glossy thrillers. All perfectly fine, but not particularly inspirational stuff. And yet, back in the day, he directed the blistering Glengarry Glen Ross and this utter gem released by Arrow this month. 1986’s At Close Range. Both of those films demonstrate a formidable confidence in making urgent, powerful dramas, suggesting Foley is very much an actor’s director. He’s now settling for Fifty Shades? Really?

Brad Whitewood Jr. (Sean Penn) reconnects with his estranged father, Brad Sr. (Christopher Walken), a notorious and charismatic criminal. Fascinated by his father’s lifestyle, Brad Jr. forms a gang with his brother Tommy and begins stealing tractors. Their criminal activities quickly draw them deeper into Brad Sr.’s world, but their illicit pursuits take a grim turn when the gang cross the point of no return into murder. Now in too deep, Brad Jr. must now confront the chilling truth about his father’s nefarious actions.

Arrow’s publicity describes it as “criminally underseen”. I can’t stress how true that is. A holdover from the maverick 70s, At Close Range plays like a junior Goodfellas crossed with Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown, and it predates both considerably. It features Christopher Walken at his peak and an already established Sean Penn. Chris Penn is in it too, reminding us of what we’ve lost, even though it’s a smaller role. The dialogue fizzes and there’s a palpable sense of dread throughout. It’s a brutal coming-of-age story; few demonstrate a loss of innocence quite this vicious.

The opening scene to Madonna’s Live To Tell is Drive cool. That isn’t maintained, it’s not a neo-noir and that doesn’t matter, but it’s long enough to introduce Penn as immediately simmering, Brando dangerous. Echoes of the theme essay a hypnotic mood such that you’ll forgive a light-touch narrative from here on in. This is a somewhat predictable plot -naïve young tough-guy is missing a father-figure and breaking the law looks like fun- especially considering all the films we’ve seen since that play with the same kind of story. But with a cast this good and a director easily corralling the big personalities, it’s got tons of atmosphere. Walken, of course, rises to the material and has at least one speech that should be a classic. Penn can hold his own with him, but both actors are generous, pushing and pulling just where they should.

Foley would go on to work with Madonna (introduced to the film by then-husband Penn) a lot through her music videos, which again, just feels like a waste. In At Close Range, he’s not only working some incredible actor-led scenes, but betraying a solid directorial style. It’s very much of the 80s, but he could have made it ten years earlier.

I can see why some of its most esoteric choices might have led to it being forgotten, and it’s not so tight by the last act, but it deserves to be found and re-evaluated. It’s got heart and identity; At Close Range really holds up. It feels like something the Safdie brothers might make today, but in any case, I’m glad Arrow are helping it find a new audience.

VIDEO

What starts with flashes of neon and a smattering of gloss, transpired to be a bait-and-switch. It’s an earthier looking film in the main. It’s definitely an 80s film, but of course skews darker than John Hughes or Spielberg. More like an early Michael Mann, just more scenes out in the sticks; they’re stealing tractors from farms, not bearer bonds from glass skyscrapers. It’s a great transfer; clean and full of detail with a healthy grain.

AUDIO

Audio can be a little muddy, but in the end, it’s a film of its time. We’ve at least moved passed mumbly-70s and so dialogue is clean and clear.

EXTRA FEATURES

Another excellent run of extras from Arrow, though leaning on archival stuff. I’d like to have seen Foley reflecting on this period of his career.

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original lossless stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary with film critic Adrian Martin
• Archival audio commentary with director James Foley and film historian Nick Redman
• Sins of the Father: Masculinity, Murder, and Morality in At Close Range, a brand-new appreciation by author and academic Dr. Laura Mayne
• Keeping the Score, a brand-new examination of the film’s score by film historian and composer Neil Brand
• Archival interview with director James Foley
• Isolated score track
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original artwork
• Double sided foldout poster featuring original artwork
• Six postcard sized artcards
• Booklet featuring new writing by Barry Forshaw and original production notes