Down in the Valley
By Helen Cuthbertson, Blockbuster.co.uk

Tensions mount in this combination of romance, drama and western, as the story unfolds around a teenage girl named Tobe ( Evan Rachel Wood) and her much older, former ranch-hand boyfriend, Harlan (Edward Norton). After inviting Harlan to the beach having barely met him, their instant love for one another is clear. There ensues an exploration of their intimacy, from the initial beach scene to the romantic bath following a drug-fuelled night on the town. Although Harlan and Tobe (short for October) appear to be a perfect match, and Harlan a perfect gentleman, it emerges that there is more going on under the surface of the well-mannered cowboy, and conflict soon begins to stir between him and Tobe’s strict father, Wade (David Morse).

While it is not inmmediately apparent where this film is going to begin with; when the first twist kicks in you’ll be hooked, wondering who the bad guy really is - especially as this drama turns into an unexpectedly violent thriller. Written and directed by the relatively unknown David Jacobson (Dahmer), Down in the Valley is original and erratic, the characters’ lives are complicated by the implication of their emotionally troubling pasts, and the dialogue is sprinkled with wisdom. The film moves along at a pace which is not too slow, while the dramatic tension is enhanced by Peter Salett’s original music.

The most impressive aspect of the film however is Edward Norton’s first rate acting. Considering his performances in American History X and Fight Club, he has already shown an assured ability to portray complex characters. Blending seriousness with awkward humour, he doesn‘t disappoint here. Evan Rachel Wood, who wowed us with her acting as the manipulative femme fatale in Pretty Persuasion, gives a good performance as a naïve but resilient young girl, as does David Morse as her domineering single father. Rory Culkin (Mean Creek), who plays Tobe’s younger brother Lonny, also does well in portraying the confused and lonely kid whose loyalties are challenged and who gets inadvertently mixed up in the action. It does make you wonder if there’s a factory out there producing Culkins on demand, as each brother seems to be an improvement on the last.

If you like films that are unpredictable, with heightened emotion and interesting locations, then try Down in the Valley, which is intense, but ultimately finds heart-rending resolution.