WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The past. It’s a facet of life we all have to take account of, regardless of whether it is filled with nothing but smooth sailing, joy, fulfillment, and all the successes that can be had or the exact opposite and cluttered with regrets, poor choices, and tragedy. However, with the latter, it always seems to find a way to come back and punish us. For enigmatic Pickings Bar owner and good ole Southern gal Jo-Lee Haywood (Elyse Price), it has been a hard road but an impassioned journey to put the ghosts of the past behind her, simply attempting to live decently and, more so, love and provide for her family, made up of eldest daughter Scarlet (Katie Vincent), younger daughters Lily (Reese Grande) and Emma (Samantha Zaino), son Dawson (Christopher Liam Gentry), and her tough-as-nails brother Boone (Joel Bernard).
But, storms arrive, initially in the form of local thugs Momo (Michael Gentile) and Jimmy Marcone (Joe Trombino), looking to make it clear doing business in this town comes at a price. Unexpectedly proving to them she is no push-over and certainly more than meets the eye, Jo-Lee’s bygone days come roaring back with a vengeance, as former loss involving her husband Marvin (Taso Mikroulis) and “career” decisions carried out with her sisters May (Lynne Jordan) and Doris (Michelle Holland) rekindles a new level of resolve to do whatever it takes to protect her family. The cost starts to rise as mob boss Leo “Big Don” Devito (Emil Ferzola) escalates events through his main enforcer Sam “Hollywood” Barone (Yaron Urbas), with one question remaining–will it all be worth it for Jo-Lee to stand strong for who she was–and is.
Next, my Mind:
It’s dark, moody, gritty, in-your-face, intense, and simply good ole fashioned, relentless fun as modern Western meets comic-book noir in the newest indie feature film effort from writer/director/executive producer/producer/cinematographer/editor Usher Morgan. Filled with all the intentionally prototypical character archetypes found in this amalgamation of crime, action, and drama, the film hurtles the viewer into a chaotic turn of events in the life of one woman only trying to find peace from a checkered past filled with pain, heartbreak, lost love, and felonious leanings. With the harsh language (understood in thematic context, but still not a preference for this reviewer), high order violence, and character-driven fervor so needed in this genre of film, the narrative effectively places us into a constantly changing state of tension, release, more tension, suspense, and adrenaline-fueled action highs during action sequences while still managing to add just enough quiet, emotionally stirring moments of calm to allow a brief respite from the turmoil. Lessons in facing the mistakes of one’s past, remaining steadfast against the specter of potential harm, beating back (figuratively and literally) the odds, proving the potency of loyalty to family, and of course most importantly, never judging a beautiful Southern belle by her cover all come into play here with fervency and vigor. What struck me, however, is that even if we in general know where events depicted might be heading, Morgan makes sure to throw in some shocking moments that jar you back into the realization that despite our protagonist’s worthy and crystal clear best intentions, decisions can still come at a high price. A wonderful utilization of live action meshed with instances of animated overlay assists in giving the film its comic-book tone, even presenting a primary supporting character with an ethereal, ghostly look that truly fits the bill.
Price is all slinky, smoldering fierceness in her role as Jo-Lee, an ultimately good-hearted Southern woman haunted by the demons of her childhood and young adult years who’s finally created a solid, legitimate life for herself and her family, not an easy task to achieve after sadness and unfortunate events have shaped her into the harder-edged person she is. Loving to those she values and an unexpectedly scary enemy to those who wrong her, Jo-Lee’s journey is one of fortitude, volatile earnestness, and no-holds-barred passion in whatever she’s aiming to accomplish, and watching Price navigate these dynamics is a true treat. From the character’s shadowy introduction, to the times of relative serenity, then back to full-on, harrowing, dramatic bombast, Price embodies it all with keen poise and tenacity. Vincent also shines as Jo-Lee’s eldest daughter Scarlet, a hard-working young woman looking to make her own mark on the family bar business, earn a living, and be the best daughter and big sister she can be. Suddenly caught up in the ruthless events that transpire, she strives to cope, a slightly more vulnerable target to the goons involved until she has a chance to prove otherwise. But as with her mother, Scarlet is all about family and wanting that peaceful, successful existence, and Vincent achieves a level of believability that perfectly suits the character throughout. In summary, she IS her mother’s daughter through and through, even if a little more subdued. Bernard’s Boone is a fun little slice of Western-infused bravado, complete with the hat and rough attitude, and who ensures to keep his sister from harm, more than willing to join her in the inevitable campaign against the local mob desiring to take the business away. Bernard is smooth, even-keeled, and consistent in this entertaining performance.
Urbas chews up scenery with a deliciously vicious zeal in portraying mob heavy Sam “Hollywood” Barone, the prime enforcer for Devito’s criminal enterprise and a snarling, unmerciful cur to boot. His menacing approach to get his way is only enhanced by his ghostly, black & white pallor, and he’s truly one of those villains you both love to hate while desperately trying to hope he gets his. It’s a highly worthy performance from Urbas, who just milks every moment on screen to the fullest and to superb effect. Ferzola is all purposefully over-the-top bluster and boldness as crime boss Devito, while Trombino and Gentile execute their roles as mob heavies with equally straight-forward panache. Holland and Jordan do sisterhood solid as Jo-Lee’s now-adult siblings who are ready to jump into the fray, Mikroulis does well in giving us a glimpse of sweeter days as Jo-Lee’s husband Marvin, while Grande, Zaino, and Gentry do their kid’s roles solid. Additional supporting characters are depicted well and are aplenty courtesy of Moe Ceo Mafiosi, Jane Wirth, Michael Tyler, Megan Corry, David Carlone, Nathan Shapiro, John Zion, Tania Kop, Mike Mazzilli, Gary Comorau, a HILARIOUS cameo from Julie Reifers, and many, many others. In total, “Pickings” will definitively satisfy fans of crime drama with a side of noir and perhaps prompt us all to light up a smoke, pour a whiskey, settle in, and enjoy the serious taste of this little Southern, pulp, gangster, hell hath no fury like a dame scorned romp.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
