Review of Live Free or Die

Very funny, quirky movie

This is a fantastic little independent film, produced by Think Film. It's a very dark comedy about a young man in a small town who features himself the most dangerous criminal of all times, but actually, he's just a bumbling coward. Aaron Stanford does an amazing job in the lead as John "Rugged" Rudgate, and Paul Schneider makes an amazing side-kick ("the Giraffe"). As always, Aaron's performance is a little under-stated, but he does an excellent job of capturing the double life this character leads - the real life where he is a nobody, and the fantasy life in his mind where he is Al Capone. Zooey Deschanel is completely underused in the film, but she sparkles on-screen and has amazing chemistry with both Aaron and Paul. And the subplots get a bit tedious; it all comes down to a sort of cop drama/murder mystery, but the real jewel of the film is the relationship between Rudgate and LeGrande (Schneider). They are totally worth watching. If you're offended by profanity, be aware that the film is rated "R" for language. The DVD has some fun extras, especially for the "making of" and the gag reel.

Posted on 09/06/07 by: evonness 11:24 PM