An extremist man and his son, who is forced to follow him, commit their most extreme act and find themselves in a standoff.
The power of independent American cinema! Feature debut for writer/director Christian Swegal, who made a film that provides a lot of food for thought. He mounts the camera on his shoulder and follows the action wherever this journey takes him. The natural lighting and the slow-paced editing offer a great deal of cinematic realism about a subject that is unfortunately very real. For those who don’t know: “Sovereign citizens are concerned with the legal framework of society. They believe all people are born free with rights — but that these natural rights are being constrained by corporations (and they see governments as artificial corporations). They believe citizens are in an oppressive contract with the government.” (Dr Kaz Ross, Lecturer in Humanities (Asian Studies), University of Tasmania)
Nick Offerman (Jerry) mesmerises in front of the camera, depicting a person who is determined to defy or bypass the law and is willing to lose it all to prove himself right. A person who is also determined and willing to take his son, Joe, down with him. Jacob Tremblay portrays that kid who is lost and whose true kindness, intelligence and abilities are doomed to be overshadowed by the extremism his father imposes on him. While at it, remember that one day, Tremblay will blow us out of the park with a performance that will propel him to the skies (to me, he’s already done it). Sovereign‘s action is slow, but the plot is suspenseful and dramatic. Dennis Quaid is a veteran with fifty years of experience under his belt, and his character (John) is what adds an extra layer of drama to a life that is already burdened with tragedy.
While I’m sure most of us have found ourselves in frustrating situations with the government, the bank, the law, and bureaucracy, extremism will never provide any solutions. Never has, never will. Unfortunately, though, this is what led to the creation of individuals like Jerry Kane and the particular group of like-minded individuals. One of these, some of these, or even all of those above have formed a system that keeps feeding extremism in various shapes and forms, and indoctrination, and creates a state of extremism vs. extremism, leaving little to no place for reason, peace and life to thrive.
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives that suffer the atrocities of war!
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