Film Review : RIVER'S EDGE * * * *

RIVER'S EDGE (1986)

CAST Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, Ione Skye Leitch, Joshua Miller, Daniel Roebuck, Dennis Hopper

DIRECTOR Tim Hunter

Tim Hunter's River's Edge is a study of loyalty, friendship, trush and honesty. It presses issues of right and wrong, and throws it in our face.

Keanu Reeves plays Matt. A high school kid who's conscience is stronger than his friendship or loyalty towards his friend Sampson (played by Roebuck). Sampson confides to his friends that he strangled his girlfriend Jamie. No one believes him, so they all group up to go see if Sampson is telling the truth, or just pulling their leg. Once they find out he's not joking, Matt becomes uneasy with the whole situation. On the other hand, Lane, played brilliantly by Crispin Glover, is fanatic about the idea of covering up the crime and protecting his friend Sampson. His perceptions are distorted and not sound.

Come to find out, one of the friends tells the cops and they begin searching for Sampson. Lane transports Sampson over to Feck's house. Feck (Hopper) is also wanted by the law for shooting his girlfriend many years ago. He is wound up tight. Here Feck and Sampson develop a strange bond. They both have something in common. They killed their girlfriends. In a scene that is darkly comical, Feck and Sampson exchange their methods used in murdering their girlfriends and how much they loved them.

What fills in the blanks is a consistent compelling story. Director Tim Hunter uses no fancy camera angles or ground breaking shots. What he does do is tell a powerful story that should keep most people interested and fascinated. The acting by all the players is strong. The screenplay shows no holes and flows really well. I suggest this film to anyone who has helped a friend cover up a bad secret, or someone who lives with them. I believe this film really shows how someone like that would really feel. A great film.