Review of the film “Cross the Line”
Dani is a caring and modest guy who, after the death of his father, finally decided to change his life. He has long dreamed of going on a trip around the world, and now, it would seem, nothing can stop him. However, the night before, the hero meets a mysterious girl named Mila, who instantly lures the gullible young man into her network. In just a few hours, Dani's calm life turns into a real hell.
Mario Casas as Dani in a still from the movie Walk the Line
Mario Casas as Dani in a still from the movie Walk the Line
The main character hesitantly agrees to the long-awaited trip, frantically chooses routes and cannot complete what he started until the last minute. Only now the picture intends to present a completely different kind of journey - not through European countries, and not even through the criminal life of the city, as it might seem, but through the dark recesses of the soul of the guy himself. What happens if a good, almost completely moral person is placed in stressful and dangerous situations? Will he be able to stand on the fragile legs of his conscience and, in the end, just stay alive? These questions are asked by the screenwriters of the film, who not only test Dani, but also radically turn the vector of the film from the first frame to the very last. “Walk the Line” works quite well in this sense: the director begins with slow shots with calm music, and after a stream of fast-paced and disturbing events, ends on the exact opposite note.
Mario Casas as Dani in a still from the movie Walk the Line
Mario Casas as Dani in a still from the movie Walk the Line
The creators do not spare the main character at all. On the contrary, at every step they arrange for him more and more sophisticated tests, which at some point creates the feeling of a video game. The director and screenwriters want the harmless Dani to discover the dark side of the world, where pretty girls can turn out to be treacherous and dangerous, and most likely no one needs your truth. Well, then it’s up to him to decide what to do - try to achieve justice and come what may, or bury the feeling of guilt deep inside and simply keep his head down. Moral questions, unpleasantly and accidentally pricking the viewer, try to draw the viewer into the neon blood-red path of this nightmare, but more often than not, the feeling of irritation overpowers the interest in what is happening on the screen.
Cross the LineTrailer #2 (Russian)
David Victory, the director of the film, cannot fully develop his idea, which could well have generated catharsis after itself, if not for a significant amount of some kind of falsehood, emptiness and even meaninglessness. It’s as if the picture lacked the author’s firm hand, capable of creating a shocking disintegration of the inner world from the mutilated body of Mario Casas. Instead, we get a heavy, but not very impressive thriller that leaves behind a shred of misunderstanding. The questions only increase, and the grueling pace and demonic mood only slightly touches our comfort zone. Yes, a decent person has walked through the circles of hell, but even deafening music can hardly push you into this gloomy prospect. As a result, Walk the Line, having accelerated at full speed, loses all of itself by the middle of the running time, just as it gradually loses the viewer’s interest.
