A Western-style Crime/Drama on breaking the law and its fatal consequences, "Mob Land" is slice of life reality in all its bareness and simplicity. A working class man in the American South is doing the straight path to raise a family and stay afloat. His brother in law in one ungodly moment convinces him to rob a local pharmacy at gunpoint glibtalking how easy it would be as the place is patronized and guarded by mere "tweakers and pushers". Little do they know the ramifications of what would transpire. Starting strong with his directorial debut and a solid script Nicholas Maggio paints a dark and grimy picture of small town American life with good acting from an ace cast led by John Travolta, Stephen Dorff, Kevin Dillon and unknown Shiloh Fernandez who steals every scene he's in. The scenic backdrop of the rural countryside is well displayed providing an impressive and idyllic contrast to the sinister goings-on. Unfortunately the riveting start of the flick slows down to languid mundanity as the film fails to maintain the initial momentum lazily settling for an ending as clichéd as it is boring. Nevertheless this modern Southern Gothic is a fine respite from all the fantasy-ridden churns cranked out by the film industry and is worth the watch for those who want to see the real world depicted on screen.
Review of Mob Land
