Still confined to the basement, the wife and I watched a Netflix instant movie last night called Lone Star State of Mind.
Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. It seems to be an independent film, but it has a couple of familiar faces in the form of Joshua Jackson and DJ Qualls.
I hate to admit it, but I was a Dawson’s Creek fan back in the day — everyone my age was; admit it.
During that brief affair with Capeside, I grew an affinity for Joshua Jackson. He’s one of those slick easy-going actors who may not have a big bag of tricks, but is good at the one trick he has.
So when you combine a movie with an obvious Texas reference in the title and Joshua Jackson, how could I pass it up? I’ve been meaning to watch this movie for years.
The basic premise is hard to sum up, but it’s basically a comedy of errors following the life of a few small-town rednecks hounded by corrupt cops, oil magnate crime lords, and Mexican gangs. Just like home.
I found the movie to be pretty enjoyable overall. It had a very Shakespearian quality to it in the vein of Much Ado About Nothing or A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
It was just one crazy thing after another all in the span of less than a week for our hero, who keeps a surprisingly calm head despite it all.
None of its fare is taken seriously, and the whole movie teeters on pure satire; not to be confused with parody which this movie is definitely not.
Ol’ Jackson put his Capeside compadre to shame with his Texas accent, and the movie overall was surprisingly well-acted for a comedy. There were a few laugh-out-loud moments in the movie, though most were of the quieter variety of humor.
I realize it’s hard to stray from the mainstream movie selection, but I highly recommend Lone Star State of Mind. It’s a quirky southern comedy full of charismatic actors and charm.
I should warn you, though, that my wife didn’t care for it nearly as much as I did so your mileage may vary.
Verdict: B+