Famke Janssen leads a wonderful cast that all turn in fantastic performances. She is incredibly gifted at playing multi layered flawed characters. The only place throughout the film where Kailey isn’t making poor or questionable choices is when it comes to her son. Her scenes opposite young Jaymie Dornan show a real connection, that often times ineffable bond between mother and son. I really have enormous respect for Famke as an actress. Unlike a lot of the ‘model-turned-actress’ crowd, she will definitely enjoy a long and diverse career; thanks in part to these smaller films.

Rip Torn is perfectly cast as Kailey’s wily old mentor who owns the pool hall and facilitates her contact with her son. You can tell that he really has no idea how wonderfully unique his onscreen delivery is; no one could play this part the way he did.

In probably the biggest month of movies in years with the major blockbusters doing their thing it’s going to be an uphill battle for this film, but I really can’t recommend it enough. I’m not saying don’t go see the big films, because we all know you will, but if you can make it out to support the underdog, this is the one to see! There’s realism and a reality to this film that is really rare theses days. A lot of very non-cinematic choices are made that led to a very unique story telling experience.

Movie Grade: A-

Synopsis:

In the thriller TURN THE RIVER, Famke Janssen (Best Actress- Hamptons Film Festival) stars as Kailey a small town pool hustler in upstate New York. She ekes out a living playing poker, periodically driving into Manhattan to check up on her mentor, Quinn (Rip Torn), who runs Quinn's a hardcore pool hall. Kailey (Janssen) is determined to raise $50,000 to wrest her son Gulley (Jaymie Dornan), who she was forced to give up at birth, from the toxic clutches of her alcoholic ex-husband David (Matt Ross) and his domineering mother (Lois Smith) and move to Canada for a better life. In order to win the money, Kailey must score a match with the best player at Quinns, Duncan (John Juback). With this as her only hope for a future with her son, Kailey starts to play and the stakes have never been higher.