There seems to be an intelligence behind director Kevin Smith's incessant dialogue, because it's righteously indignant in the face of its own story -- three teens (Michael Angarano, Nicholas Braun, Ronnie Connell) respond to an internet sex offer that places them in the clutches of a local band of religious zealots, leading to a violent FBI rescue mission -- but it doesn't know when to stop editorializing, so it's probably more to the point to tag it as common, ordinary, street-staunch smart-assery. (Part of me wanted to applaud at the end, because the last spoken line is "SHUT UP!") Either way, Smith doesn't zip itself long enough to allow his audience to think for itself, or to sympathize with anyone caught in this idealistic crossfire, and when no one onscreen has anything worthwhile to say, the relevant Commandment says leaven thy dialogue with "fuck" generously. There's really no one here to care much about, but Michael Parks is always fun to watch, and he's in Big Bad Wolf mode and given a sermon to read that accounts for a respectable chunk of the picture.
Though I found RED STATE far more irritating than illuminating, I have to credit Smith for having the imagination to write and stage a climactic scene in which we're tempted to imagine that some actual Biblical promises may be imminent. For a couple of minutes, the cast stop talking for the most part and we get to wonder for ourselves where this movie might be headed -- magic realism? CGI? DOGMA 2? Anyway, it's scary fun while it lasts. The cast includes John Goodman and Melissa Leo from HBO's TREME, both fine actors. You also get to see Betty Aberlin (Lady Aberlin from MISTEROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD) fire a machine gun. And get blown apart by one.
Viewed on Netflix.
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