ANY DAY
a drama by Rustam Branaman
Starring:
Sean Bean
Eva Longoria
Kate Walsh
Nolan Gross
Tom Arnold
Paul Ben-Victor
Synopsis:
Vian McLean (Sean Bean) is an ex-fighter who is filled
with resentment. He killed a man with his bare hands and has just spent
the last 12 years in prison for the crime. Upon his release from prison
he goes to stay with his sister Bethley (Kate Walsh) and her son Jimmy
(Nolan Gross) who gets to know his uncle Vian and looks up to him as the
greatest man he has ever known. Because of his conviction,Vian
struggles to find a job. He finally does and then he meets a woman
Jolene (Eva Longoria), falls in love with her. Everything seems to
working out, but when a tragic event happens, Vian is thrown into a dark
place and faces the greatest challenge yet of his life, only to be
shown the right path in a sudden experience that, once again, alters his
life forever.
Review:
Life is messy and people are imperfect. First, we have Vian, a promising athlete boxer who let his temper get the better of him one day & accidentally killed a man because of it. His sister Bethley is a single mother solely responsible for taking care of her son Jimmy. She is employed and her parents left her the family home in their will, but it's a struggle to pay bills. Jolene is a well-employed, pretty lady who attracts Vian's attention, but she had just broke up with her old boyfriend William, who doesn't accept her decision. Roland (Tom Arnold) is a formerly partying washed-out rock musician who runs a pizza restaurant. Each of them, no longer youth, has made major mistakes in their lives, while the boy Jimmy has his whole life still in front of him.
Jimmy was very attached to his grandfather, and I think that's the
reason he latches so quickly onto Uncle Vi as a male role model
replacement. Roland sees in Vian the same type of screw-up he was, why I
think he takes a chance on him by giving Vian a job and a purpose he
really needs. Bethley takes a chance on her brother by letting him live
with her. Jolene takes a chance on Vian by giving him some of her heart.
Roland also takes the chance that Bethley will like him. Vian takes the
chance of actually caring about people again.
I enjoyed seeing the social dynamic play out between all these people, a kind of "A Day In The Life" thing. I liked the film's illustrations of real life and the consequences of what happens next after you make mistakes. And sometimes bad things happen anyway no matter what you do. However, I didn't like the resolution of the major plot points involving the McLean family.
As for the rest, I liked the performances, Sean Bean and Tom Arnold especially. I also like the way it was shot, with its atmosphere and awareness of time passing with nothing at all that you can do about that, except live in it, ride with it, and make the best you can of it.
Info:
Limited release to US cinemas on 1 May 2015.
UK DVD release as film title FIGHTING DEMONS on 25 May 2015
(link to Amazon shop)
US $12.99 iTunes BUY link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/any-day/id972395763
Trailer links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xGTkRIcY7E
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/anyday/
IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3266948/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_6
Written by Donna DeBoer (
@DRLDeBoer on Twitter)
