Sundown
I’m referring to the 2021 film Sundown, starring Tim Roth.
Tim Roth was already way cool, he’s been in 4 Tarantino movies: Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and The Hateful Eight. If that isn’t cool, I don’t know what is.
But Sundown immortalized Tim Roth to me. I say this because in the other films you see him in, particularly the Tarantino movies, he’s cool alongside a lot of other cool people. In Sundown, he is the vehicle driving the plot and effectively gets to be cool all by himself. Except that his character isn’t outwardly cool in his actions, his demeanor. He’s cool in what he doesn’t say or do and who you come to realize that he is.
Sundown is also a film which much of the time is very sparse in dialogue, which makes Tim Roth all the more effective. I recall watching the movie for the first time and thinking “yeah, I’d like to be Tim Roth’s character”. Or in some ways, I relate to his character. But for different-come-related reasons which I won’t get in to.
I’l give a brief synopsis, and try to avoid any spoilers. The film itself is in the category of “noir”, but I couldn’t tell you what subcategory of noir. Much of the film, Tim Roth plays a likeable enough, yet relatively deadpan character who is on vacation in Acapulco Mexico with some family members. A first you don’t know the relationships between the family members, or anything about any of them, for that matter, until a bit later. Details are sparingly and slowly revealed along the way
At a certain point, the rest of Tim’s family heads for home. Tim’s character does not — for reasons unknown. The rest of the film follows Tim’s character’s story arc in Acapulco. The ending had a strong impact on me. At first viewing though, it actually didn’t have as strong of an impact as I wanted — — I wanted a stronger quiet ending. But on subsequent viewing, the ending grew on me greatly.
— — -
I’m laying here by a pool in Thailand. I’ve been relaxing, had some food brought out to me, popped into my room a time or two for a sip of the complimentary bottle of wine from the hotel — — which is actually and surprisingly quite good. While I haven’t taken on a local Thai girlfriend, as Tim Roth’s character would have, I’m partaking of the typical Thai tourist lay-by-the-pool trappings of leisure in what has been perfect pool weather in Thailand since
I’ve been here, now 3 weeks+. If you had told me a month or so ago that I’d soon end up in Thailand for nearly a month, I would not have guessed it. And I find myself thinking about Sundown and Tim Roth’s character. It’s hard to separate him from his character in the movie, which is partly why I think the film is so good. It may be the best acting of his that I’ve seen.
Thailand has a pretty liberal tourist stay. With regards to Visa requirements, that is. You can show up and stay here 3 months without doing anything. I’ve been to a couple of other countries that do that but not the EU. I mean, yes, you could land in any EU country and stay for 3 months. But you couldn’t then go to the Eu country nextdoor and stay 3 months — — you have to leave the entire EU — any and all EU countries — — for 3 months before returning. Geez.
And I find myself wondering what advantage this gives the EU? I can’t imagine that it does give one, but it must? Ok, it limits the number of tourists in the EU at any given time, and I guess that’s good for countries that get imnundated with tourists(?) but it seems to me that it dramatcally limits the money (and jobs) that would flow into the country as a result.
Ok, it does also limit the number of those who might show up with no means to support themselves (think broke backpacker hippies(?) and potentially become a drain or burden or just general annoyance to the country that they are hanging out in, but otherwise, it unquestionably limits revenues. I don’t get it. Seems they could have a better system that would benefit the poorer EU countries who need the sustained tourism.
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Anyway…
I’m glad I can hang in Thailand for a while, and I sincerely hope that the Southeast Asian countries don’t ever form a union such that you can only stay in any or all of the countries in that union for a combined 3 months — — and thus limiting your time in any 1 country.
I’d like to fantasize that I could be Tim Roth’s character, but I don’t have the “background” to even come close (I’m not wanting to give away any details of the film and Tim’s character’s background), nor could or would I want to maintain what looks like has to be a perpetually low-key buzzed lifestyle on vacation in the film — but I’m working on it today a bit, which is what made me think of the movie.
— — — -
And then there’s the ending. I need to watch it again. It’s definitely an ending you’ll rewatch if you enjoyed the film, because you may miss it the first time. It’s not quite as dramatic as the ending that everyone missed in “No Country for Old Men”, but it’s the subtlety of it that is it’s brilliance, in my opinion. And the same applies for the film as a whole.
If you haven’t heard of the movie, I wouldn’t be surprised. No one has. And that’s why I say it is underrated, because it’s a brilliantly subdued film that you haven’t heard of. And I can picture those of you I know who won’t like it… Those who might say “huh?” or “What was the point of that?” And if so, if you find yourself saying those things, then we are very different people — and that’s ok, but just know that up front.
I think I’m going to order a drink from my hotel’s app and have it brought to me by the pool.
But fast forward an hour later. I didn’t order that drink. I did partake in a local substance that put me in a mellow mood, and then swam a bit. My love for hotel pools has been renewed. Probably renewed from childhood and vacations where the highlight of any trip was the hotel pool.
I swam alone in the pool — — everyone else was laying out — — and touched the waterfall wall at the end. It’s not an obnoxious waterfall wall, it’s a long tiled wall that with a shallow layer of water running over it, hugging the black and gold tiled wall. The pool is tiled in black tile — giving it the effect of having an unknown depth. It’s a good sized pool and that plus the black tile gives it an infinity look and your mind tells you that the pool is very deep, although it’s only about 4.5 feet. Perfect depth to lounge in.
Tim Roth had the ocean.
That will mean more when you see the end of the film.
