Cinema Reviews

Son Of A Gun Review

24th Jan 2015

JR (Brenton Thwaites) finds unlikely friends in prison in the form of Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor) and his gang. They resolve to look after JR on the proviso that he do something for them after he gets out after his short term stay at the facility. Turns out that the “little job” requires him to break them out of jail.

JR reluctantly complies and finds himself in the uneasy company of the gang, but also living a much more luxurious life as a result with their eye on the ball to do a heist job at a gold refinery.

The trust among the gang is hardly sturdy, and JR finds himself (like they all do) falling for the wrong girl which naturally complicates matters more.

Thwaite’s is fine as the wrong ‘un kid living fairly quietly among the gang. It’s clear that everyone in the room overshadows him causing him to have severe trust issues with them – and they with him. The film is stolen by McGregor’s much more raw performances as the leader and semi-big brother to JR. The story comes alive whenever McGregor is onscreen as you know something is about to be said or happen.

And therein lies part of the problem with the movies is that you are sitting in a lull when Thwaites is on screen as he isn’t really driving much of the story forward, merely reacting to it as it happens to him.

The Australian setting adds a bit of a difference for audiences and it is shot to give that dirt and grime look and feel. What’s missing though is a sense of where it’s all going in its third act and a level of threat.

Son of a Gun is an interesting independent thriller giving McGregor the chance to play bad boy for a change (which we will see him do later this year again) and at this time of year is an decent alternative to the awards circuit.