Truly Dreadful Film

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

not horrible nor great

Am I Missing Something?

Lee Tergesen and Enid Graham play two fantastic roles in Silver Tongues, and I was absolutely blown away with their performances from start to finish. First, their characters, Gerry and Joan seem to almost slip into the film, as if they were to be supporting actors; quickly, you realize these two are quite slippery. We follow Gerry and Joan, a husband and wife, who like to play games with people, to test their resolve; maybe it's because they're awful people, or maybe it's because they're just two actors walking through life playing the various roles that fall upon them, or maybe they're testing people in the things they're missing within themselves. They go from place to place on a road trip, and mess with the lives of people, but not always in a malicious way; one of their 'capers' brings them to a church where Joan begins a witch hunt accusing the female priest of stealing money from the collection plate, but eventually Gerry turns it into the congregation donating more money to it, and ending up to stand fiercely beside their priest, who before that day they had never once doubted in any way. There are many ways to interpret this film. Many people feel the scene in the woods where Gerry believes he has done the unthinkable to Joan is in fact what happened without any other explanation. I think Gerry and Joan acted it all out just as they did their other roles; Gerry even professes to the police woman who interrogates him that he is an actor playing a cop in a play where he investigates the murder of a woman who was strangled. Every moment (particularly one just as Gerry is left alone in the interrogation room) you can see both Gerry and Joan playing their roles, acting it out with method-like precision, and manipulating everyone around them. Their role playing is all about making people question themselves, their decisions, their beliefs. Perhaps it's because they don't know themselves. At the very end, as they return home from their little road trip, we see exactly who they are, and maybe that's what leads us to a conclusion. Gerry and Joan are looking for something, and maybe they haven't even found it yet themselves, but they're searching; who knows how many trips they take like this, how often, or how far they go on them. One thing is for sure, that these two individuals have a strangely unique bond, and are both daring enough to let it go to the edges of madness.One other thing- there are definitely some awkward parts, as some have said, but they work so well. I particularly enjoyed the kiss Joan gave one old man when they visited a retirement home because it fit quite perfectly, even if it felt a little strange to watch.I give this film a solid 10 out of 10 because the script was great, the story progressed nicely (I never felt bored), and once again, the two leads are amazing! I am a general fan of Lee Tergesen, but he definitely puts in one of his best performances here. Shame this doesn't have a higher rating. However, I try not to pay too close attention to ratings here on this site, as many don't know how to objectively review a film.

Simon Arthur expanded his 2007 short about two lovers who travel place to place, almost randomly, wrecking peoples lives and inflicting emotional cruelty upon them. While this idea is a good one --- it's been favorably (and accurately) compared to Neil LaBute's "In the Company of Men" --- it doesn't satisfy us the way that film did. It still feels at the end of the runtime as a bit of a nihilistic let-down.The film almost works better as a quartet of short films all stapled together. Every single one of these vignettes is tight as a drum and very absorbing: they suck you in with the vacuum of a veteran con artist playing short-change tricks on you at a bar.That the core of the film is held together with icy nimbleness by TV vets Lee Tergesen (Red Widow, The Big C, Army Wives) and Enid Graham (Gray's Anatomy, Boardwalk Empire) is both shocking and exciting. One doesn't expect the broad range and elasticity their performances bubble over with. Tergesen is blessed with a neutral, almost banal affect that reminds you of Bill Pullman's knack for portraying casually moral-less characters and Graham wears an almost eerily poker-faced mask throughout, lustily daring you to read her thoughts, and then laughing disdainfully at you when you make the mistake of attempting it.If you like suspenseful drama pieces and plays, don't miss this one. It has all of the elements of vintage LaBute or David Mamet. It will make you think and stay with you, even if it doesn't quite gel into the cohesiveness that might otherwise render it a classic.

Silver Tongues is a deeply engaging psychological thriller about characters operating outside the rules of civilized discourse. Why do they do it? Why not? I came upon this film without warning at the Annapolis Prentious Film Society screening, and felt that it was better than nearly every other film I saw in 2011. If we're going to nominate 9 films for best picture, Silver Tongues should have been one of them.Lee Tergesen is a superb actor, and this script allows him to explore all of the crazy stuff that must be lurking in his subconscious. Enid Graham is sexy and just as in touch with the outrageous. The script is well structured, with a lot of engaging subtext. Independent cinema at its best.

Having seen the original incarnation of this, back when it screened with Simon's other short "Rebel Song", I was intrigued and excited to see how it had evolved into a full-length feature - filmed in a different country and with new lead actors."Silver Tongues" is deserving of all the high critical praise and festival awards it has garnered, being - as it is - an engaging thriller that keeps you constantly guessing, and with a pay-off that tells you enough but no more. It drew me in to such an extent that I was genuinely surprised when it ended, its running time having flown by.As an intelligent, witty, captivating story, it is very hard to fault. If you get the chance to see it, do so.