No Way to Live 10/17 Blu-ray (Rental)

Product Description An interracial teenage couple in the 1950's American South, rob and steal to escape their oppressive town, but when violence erupts they are forced to confront their own dark secrets. Review Freya (HEMLOCK GROVE) Tingley gives a performance that establishes her as one of cinema s penultimate femme fatales, up there alongside Barbara Stanwyck (DOUBLE INDEMNITY), Lena Olin (ROMEO IS BLEEDING), Linda Fiorentino (THE LAST SEDUCTION) and Jane Greer (OUT OF THE PAST). She s delicious in the surprising depths of her malevolence. Tom Williamson, as her wary fellow conspirator, has a few noirish surprises of his own. Justin Arnold plays a lovesick cop whose performance grew on me. And cult character actor Larry Fessenden delivers his best supporting role. NO WAY TO LIVE is a debut feature from Nick Chakwin and David Guglielmo, both as co-writers and co-directors. It shows a sure directorial hand, and a mischievous one to boot: they don t just acquit themselves professionally, they know how to tease us as well. DP Alex Chinnici gives the film a nice caste, warm neo-noir colors that keep us alert for trouble even when all seems well. There s a driving scene where I wish he d used a polarizing filter so that we could see the faces in the front seat more clearly, but outside of that one frustration, it s quite satisfying visually. --Films in Review