'Stillwater' Review

What comes to mind when I say old trucker hat, plaid shirt, bearded, well-mannered pickup truck driver? Some would picture a random southern conservative, but I more specifically think of Bill Baker (Matt Damon) from director Tom McCarthy's 'Stillwater.' Past the red-state stereotypes bears a man who is lost, taken down the beaten path, an overall complacent soul that moves from manual labor gig to manual labor gig. This is when 'Stillwater' is at its best, exploring the intricacies of a man who just wants to settle down and reform his life. The brawny, sorrowful character is played by none other than Matt Damon who combines all of his patented charm with a certain level of vulnerability that grounds his character on his road redemption. Although Bill Baker's emotional journey is the most interesting part of the film, it gets obscured by the film's central theme that you can't escape one's true behavior.

Loosely based on the case of Amanda Knox, the American college student convicted in 2007 of killing her roommate while studying abroad in Italy, 'Stillwater' focuses on Bill Baker's visit to Marseilles, France where he is fighting to exonerate his daughter, while deep down trying to find self-acceptance. Bill's daughter, Allison (Abigail Breslin) has been imprisoned for the murder of her unfaithful lover, Lina. Allison claims her innocence to Bill, which he accepts unquestionably, and asks him to pass forward a note to her defense lawyer. It is clear from this moment that Bill sees this moment to help right the wrongs from his past and mend the emotional divide with his daughter. What follows is an aggressive, desperate navigation through French cultural and language barriers to find the person responsible for Allison's incarceration. The investigative scenes that follow outline the socioeconomic issues present in the US and France for the audience as well as exhibiting the behavior of Americans abroad. The tone of these scenes is grim, serious, and at times somewhat violent, but through these scenes, the audience begins to sympathize with Bill and understand his desire to feel loved by his daughter.

The transition from the first act to the second is where the beauty and genius of the film come from, but I only wish it had lasted this way for the duration of the film. Following a confrontation with his daughter, Bill forms an unexpected friendship with a single mom and her ten-year-old girl, Virginie (Camille Cottin), and her daughter, Maya (Lilou Siauvaud). They allow Bill to right the wrongs of his past by welcoming him into their family. Virginie was introduced in the first act as a kind soul that offered her assistance to Bill's investigation by translating and guiding through Marseilles. The opposite personalities, cultures, and overall human nature end up attracting the other into a strong friendship. Over time, Bill feels comfortable sharing more about himself and his darker past, which allows him to feel a sense of closure and acceptance. The evolution of a self-contained, quiet, and tortured soul to a free, loving, and optimistic person is executed perfectly and is genuinely heart-warming.

This is by far the most impactful section of 'Stillwater,' which is disappointing because the ideas presented in this portion of the film are discarded to make way for a grittier ending. If the focus of the film was to redeem Bill's lost, but lovable, soul, the film would feel more complete rather than slapping the viewer in the face with an ending that contradicts what Bill has learned from his journey. The theme of what is rotten stays rotten takes over the film to its detriment. It isn't believable that Bill self-destructs after finally being accepted by people that see through his roughneck exterior. The film tries to make his regression plausible with another character attempting suicide, but the execution of this moment is laughably horrible and dropped not even five minutes after it is shown. Some films do a great job of redeeming and then breaking characters back down, but in the case of 'Stillwater,' it feels contrived and predicated on coincidences and negligence. Additionally, 'Stillwater's lengthy runtime of nearly two and half hours exacerbates every flaw the film has as it drags through some of its poorly paced sections. I found myself hooked through the tense beginning, settling down through the charming middle portion, and then beaten down completely by the ending.

'Stillwater' has an enticing, complex main character that is bogged down by the discord around him. The central motive to exonerate Allison ends up being kicked aside with no real mystery, Bill's redemptive character qualities are lost, and the real intricacies of a complex story are hidden behind layers of motivational uncertainty. That being said when the film is strong it is excellent and heartfelt. I was pulled into Marseilles, into Bill's makeshift family, and I did feel a lot of sympathy for his journey. Matt Damon's performance alone is incredible with the only criticism being that his patented Damon charm can seep away from his character. There are multiple times where I have to remind myself that Bill Baker is Matt Damon because of how transformative he is. Overall, 'Stillwater' isn't bad per se, it just has a few loose ends that with some refocusing can be pieced back together into a satisfying story. I encourage everyone to watch 'Stillwater' for themselves and let me know what you thought of its ending and the overall story.