GALVESTON

US, 2018, 91 minutes, Colour.
Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Beau Bridges, Jeffrey Grover, Lili Reinhart.
Directed by Melanie Laurent.

This is a 21st-century film noir, directed by French actress, Melanie Laurent, who appeared in such films as inglourious Bastards.

This is a story of a criminal, Roy, operating in 1988 in New Orleans, serving his boss played by Beau Bridges. He is diagnosed with lung cancer. He clashes with his boss and is set up to do a raid which, in fact, is designed for his death. However, he escapes, finding the young escort in the house and taking her with him.

She is played by Elle Fanning, making advances, being repelled, stopping to pick up a young girl who turns out to be her daughter, their continuing their travels together to Galveston to lie low.

However, the criminals catch up with them, Elle Fanning’s death, Ben Foster escaping but hurt in an accident, going to prison – and visited 20 years later by the young girl now grown-up who wants the truth about her mother.

A rather dark, grim and dour film, an unusual portrait of a criminal.

1. 21st-century film noir? Critical acclaim? The work of the director, her French perspective on an American story?

2. The framework, the hurricane coming, the sounds, the windows? The flashbacks to the story? Reprising the hurricane at the end?

3. New Orleans, the 1980s, criminals? The setup and the raid? The film on the road, travelling to Galveston? The bars, the motels? Criminal areas? Prison? The musical score?

4. Roy’s story, Ben Foster’s performance? Screen presence? The doctor, the diagnosis, Roy angrily walking out, the cigarettes, the discussions with the boss, the clash? The setup and the raid, his killing his opponents, Roy surviving, the encounter with Rocky, rescuing her? Back home, lending the coat, the going on the road? Roy and the consciousness of his illness?

5. Rocky, her age, background, the escort service and the newspaper advertisement, the discussions with Roy, her advances, his repelling her? Going to the bar, playing pool, the drinks? Going to the house, the shot, coming with the baby girl? The revelation about her stepfather, the rape, rescuing her daughter? At the motel, the rooms, the woman warning about the police, the baby’s nightmares, her coming into the room with the baby and sharing the bed?

6. Roy, returning home, wanting Rocky to go, yet the attraction, walking along the beach and playing?

7. The boss turning up, Roy with the incriminating documents, harsh attitude, taking Rocky, tying up Roy? The woman, freeing him? His wandering, discovering Rocky dead, covering her?

8. The accident, the doctor, his going to prison? 20 years passing? The wrong diagnosis and his surviving?

9. Tiffany, her tracking down Roy, wanting the truth from him, the memories of Rocky, Tiffany’s vague memories, the realisation that Rocky was her mother, had not abandoned her, was dead? Roy explaining, Tiffany’s emotions, the deal then to let him be?

10. A quiet ending, Roy by himself, old, ill, and living with his memories of Rocky?