Sand Castles

Audience Reviews

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01/17/2017 This had to many turns and twists. It was going somewhere with the return of the abducted girl but story needed improvement. It could have been written better. It's like a unfocused story that a child starts telling. This happened, that happened oh and this happened, I'm dying, but my love child lives on..here is my nsurance money, oh ya my sister is suddenly all adjusted and going to YALE. Really..it was too much. I hate over the top endings. I want my money back. Two stars because the cinimaphotography was pretty good. See more 03/23/2015 About as good as one can do for a home ground film. Full discussion can be found at http://nopassingformiles.blogspot.com/2014/04/sand-castlesgrit-honesty-at-its-finest.html which is just my blog I post to time to time. I fully review the film there. See more 03/22/2015 Brilliant film! My absolute favorite at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival! Can't wait to see it again! See more 03/22/2015 Check out the audience score and that says it all. This is a deeply thoughtful story portrayed by seriously good actors. I was immediately pulled in and rapt throughout. SEE IT! See more 04/06/2014 Review by Jesse Burleson of VIEWS ON FILM Ah Goshen, Indiana. Home to the second largest county fair in the U.S., nicknamed "the maple city," and having the distinction of being the birthplace of legendary film director Howard Hawks. It's also the main shooting location for the top featured selection in this year's River Bend Film Festival. Sand Castles is said selection and it's every bit worth the hype. I mean, it's about as personal as a movie can get. After all, star, writer, and producer Jordon Hodges grew up in Goshen and believe me, he shows us the audience, that he never forgot where he came from. Now to be frank, this is a picture that starts out slow and sneaks up on you. After a viewing, I declared it to be Prisoners meets Mystic River meets independent film making. That's another way of saying that it's part crime drama, part vigilante escapade, and part acting showcase. In terms of location, it is Northern Indiana personified. There's an earthy and grainy look coupled with low camera angles and dreary landscapes. Basically the town depicted, becomes one of the stars as well as its source of recognition. In fact, I haven't been reminded of a small Midwestern venue feeling a lot like the movie's primary voice since Three Oaks, Michigan took over the scenery for 1989's Prancer. Set to be available for purchase on DVD in 2015 (as voiced by two of the film's producers) and showcasing flashback kidnapping scenes via my hometown of St. Joseph, Michigan (Silver Beach to be exact), Sand Castles tackles the terrifying aspect of child abduction. The film begins with a young Lauren Daly (played by Anne Winters). She is abducted and I guess, sexual assaulted by an unknown assailant. After years of her family searching for her, she manages to escape and eventually returns to them. Lauren is traumatized, doesn't speak, and is in a state of shock. Her alcoholic mother (Marie Daly played by Saxon Trainor), her older brother (Jordon Hodges as Noah Daly), and her uncle (the veritable Randy Spence as Tommy Daly) are happy that she has come back and is safe. However, they want to find out who committed this horrible act. Tommy Daly takes on the role of unannounced detective by interviewing a car mechanic (Clint Howard) and stealing the badge number of a police officer (to get information on area sex offenders). This series of events is what kicks Sand Castles into high gear. The proceedings become more involving, more absorbing, and to a fault, more catastrophic. As for the performances, I had the pleasure of chatting with one of the stars of Sand Castles being the legendary Clint Howard. A self-proclaimed character actor, he told me about how neat it was to climb out of his Hollywood environment and fly down to the Hoosier state to make quote unquote, "a small independent film." His screen time is short lived but that's what he does (as does so well). He shows up in "Castles" for a couple of scenes, make a swift impression, and is never heard from again. That's what you get from a Howard performance and that's okay with me. Then there's the star of Sand Castles being an up and comer named Jordon Hodges. As Noah Daly, he underplays his role a bit too much but relegates a strong amount of screen presence. He reminds me of a young Casey Affleck with the swagger of Aaron Paul. His screenplay is impressive and it gives "Castles" a lot of bite. The actors get a chance to spout off some unabashed, juicy free fall dialogue. And the top recipient for the strongest dose of this dialogue, is Randy Spence bringing to life the revenge minded Tommy Daly. He plays to perfection, a drug addicted, alcohol minded bad boy who takes the law into his own hands without any sense of just or justice. His rawness, confidence, and Devil-may-care attitude only add to the spice of this powerful film. Overall, Sand Castles with a small budget, a small town feel, and an anti-Hollywood approach, teeters on the edge of amateurism. Thankfully, director Clenet Verdi-Rose avoids this notion for almost 90% of the running time. He channels a little bit of Steven Soderbergh with his camerawork all the while building tension with every careful inch. The film currently doesn't have a MPAA rating but believe me, after seeing the finished product, I garner it a hard R saddled with adult themes, adult situations, rough language, and some violent images. And to truly decipher the film's heart wrenching conclusion, you have to stay through the closing credits. To put it mildly, Sand Castles only falters when it goes off into tangents with certain scenes. When it's focused and heavy handed, watch out. You've got a fairly effective, hard boiled thriller on your hands. Thumbs up! See more Read all reviews

Sand Castles

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