It’s frustrating when a film falls apart near the end
by Martin Hafer
Normally, I’d hesitate to review a film like Any Day. It’s hard to recommend because the ending will most likely leave you feeling deflated. But the first and middle act is good and shows so much promise and I do want to see more from these folks.
Sean Bean plays Vian, an angry man who just spend 12 years in prison for beating a man to death in a fight. Now he has no place to live, no job and no prospects. His only family, a sister, is afraid to allow him back in their lives, especially since she has a young son. Despite her better judgment, she does allow him to stay … provided he never drinks and gets his life together. Through much of the film, Vian works hard to have a semblance of a normal life and you really pull for him. After all, the character is well written and Bean and the rest of the cast did a great job.
- Any Day
- Written & Directed by
Rustam Branaman - Cast
Sean Bean, Kate Walsh, Eva Longoria - Release Date
27 March 2015 - Martin’s Grade: C-
*****
Unfortunately, what follows is really frustrating, with an unnecessary and unbelievable twist that most likely will leave the audience annoyed for buying into the story and pulling for the guy. I would say more, but it would give away too much of the plot.
On the plus side, the directing is wonderful — very stark but never boring, and well-paced. The acting is also terrific, as is the music, which is often haunting. But it really looks like they didn’t know how to end this one. One thing’s for sure, they made the wrong choices and the movie left me wondering what could have been, had they known where to take it. It’s all a shame, because if the ending had been written better I would have graded higher. It does have a lot going for it despite its ending and crazy plot twist. Any Day has just been released on DVD and VOD, and I do hope that the filmmakers keep plugging away. There’s a lot of promise here.
