‘South of Heaven’ a gory action film with popular pandemic themes
In opening scenes of “South of Heaven,” Emmy Award winner Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”), playing prison convict Jimmy Ray, pleads his case for an early release after 12 years served on his 15-year sentence for armed robbery and assault.
Jimmy needs to get out of prison because his beloved Annie (Evangeline Lilly), to whom he pledged a “blood vow” when he was 7 years old, has a year or less to live due to lung cancer. Yes, Sudeikis brings the folksy charm of Ted Lasso to bear on this country convict loser (the film was shot in Texas). Jimmy gets his wish. But the cards just never play out right for him. First, his parole officer, a weaselly bully named Schmidt (Shea Wigham) wants Jimmy to serve as bag man for him and pick up money from some violent criminals. On the way back from this errand, reaching for his cellphone, Jimmy accidentally hits a motorcyclist, killing him.
This is where “South of Heaven” lost me a bit. Israeli director and co-writer Aharon Keshales (“Big Bad Wolves”) apparently thinks that making the motorcyclist a courier for a crime lord excuses Jimmy’s crime. It doesn’t. Jimmy takes the motorcycle and the mangled corpse to a friend in the recycling business. Aristocratic crime lord Whit Price (Mike Colter) shows up the next day with his collection of thugs. Pass the nail gun and birthday cake. Things go from bad to bloody worse.
But Jimmy is like the gunslinger in “Old Henry” and the nobody in “Nobody.” Jimmy only seems like a loser who has been misjudged and disrespected his whole life. But prison has toughened him up. This idea of a common man having secret skills that people never dreamed he had has become a popular pandemic theme. It makes sense at a time when so many of us feel completely powerless.
In between misadventures, Jimmy lavishes his love on Annie, and the two of them have a relationship that is either wonderful or a completely banal, sentimental cliche. In one scene, they sing the Beach Boys’ tune “God Only Knows” to one another. Lilly, who sports a short, blonde ’do, is not given much to do except pretend to be facing death when she isn’t snuggling with Jimmy or baking.
The action scenes with Jimmy in shootouts in Texas and across the border with Price’s army of henchmen run the gamut from wellstaged to sloppy and just not credible. Is there ever just a bowling ball in a bowling ball bag these days?
Sudeikis’ performance is the prime reason to see “South of Heaven” for “Lasso” fans. Fans of “Jessica Jones” and “Evil” might want to check out “South of Heaven” for Colter’s turn as articulate gangster Price, who also lost his wife to lung cancer and is devoted to their smart-talking, preteen son Tommy (Thaddeus J. Mixson, another asset).
Am I the only one wondering why Colter’s Luke Cage hasn’t gotten his own movie?
(“South of Heaven” contains extreme, gory violence and harsh language.)