Secrets and Sea Shanties

 Blow The Man Down (2019) Following the death of their beloved mother, two sisters in coastal Maine discover a series of secrets about their family and hometown.

Directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy

Starring Sofie Lowe, Morgan Saylor, Margo Martindale

Why I Liked It – Great cast, great setting, solid enough script

“Blow The Man Down” brings everything that makes indie films so much fun to explore.  The writer/director pair of Cole and Krudy bring the skill that is almost always at the center of a successful “little film” for me.  They let the actors have the room to breathe life into the story.  The assured directorial touch here shows them not getting in the way.  The role the movie needs from them is handled beautifully.  Meanwhile the cast brings the tight culture of a small fishing town in Maine to vibrant life.  Add in the ability to try things that are a bit outside the “norm” of mainstream films (a Greek chorus of shanty singing fishermen?  Loved it!)

Mary Beth and Priscilla (Saylor and Lowe) are the daughters of the local legend, Mary Margaret Connolly.  She was the heart not only of her family, but much of the community of Easter Cove, Maine.  How much she held together both the town and family becomes obvious with her death.  Things begin to spin out of control quickly, and the two young women discover a series of disturbing secrets.  Secrets that change how they see everything in their lives.

Some of the story is familiar.  One daughter is happy following in her mother’s footsteps, the other is desperate to escape.  A “good” girl and a “wild” one.  A small town with a secret from years gone by at its very heart.  But the script does a solid job of making something new and interesting out of the material.  First of all, there are no male characters who rise above supporting roles.  With the exception of the new young police officer Justin Brennan (Will Brittain), the male characters play their part and then depart.  Speaking of familiar material, yes, there is a comfy and slightly corrupt older police officer for him to play against.

This story is about the ladies, Mary Margaret (mostly as a legend), Mary Beth, Priscilla, Enid (Martindale) the shady operator of the local B&B/bordello, and the three, grandmotherly Furies, Susie, Doreen and Gail.  June Squibb, Marceline Hugot, Annette O’Toole bring the perfect combination of maternal concern and razor edge to the roles.  They are interesting women with a secret that Mary Margaret could carry for them.  Like the younger women, the four older women are faced with choices they had hoped to never face.

There were a couple places where it felt like the script “hiccuped” to me, but they were small and inconsequential in larger storytelling.  If this is the quality that Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy bring to their debut, I am looking forward to future projects. 

A black comedy murder mystery with a noir touch, “Blow The Man Down” is a modern vision of an older classic form of theater.  Funny, challenging, and enthralling.  Find this one!

Rating – **** Recommended