I’m perfectly fine with Mel Gibson delivering these B-movies for the rest of his career. I dug the hell out of “Blood Father” “Get the Gringo,” but, most especially, “Dragged Across Concrete.”
I guess it’s easier for me to separate the art from the artist, that’s just the way I roll, it must come from 4 years in film school where we had to dig in on the works of some pretty despicable people such as Nazi sympathizer Leni Riefenstahl and all-around KKK bigot D.W. Griffith. Although, I don’t really think Gibson should be compared to these people — yes he had that infamous drunken stupor rant where he blabbed to a cop about Jews controlling the world. As a Jew, was I offended? Somewhat, yes. But he’s tried to strive for our forgiveness over the years, the guy was loaded at the time and going through some serious mental health issues, shit happens, that’s life.
in “Force of Nature” we’re introduced to Gibson’s character, Ray, a cranky old man that doesn’t want to evacuate his apartment building, despite a category 5 storm coming, even as the police and his daughter attempt to convince him otherwise. However, there’s a story behind his unwillingness to leave, a $55 million treasure looms underneath his building, and he knows that criminals will be coming if he evacuates. So he stays. Guns and ammo cocked, loaded, and ready to go.
It’s not just Gibson’s casting that is the controversial aspect of this film, it’s also the depiction of Latinos. Activists are supposedly pissed off about the thieves in “Force of Nature” being Puerto Rican, what else is new, claiming it to be a typically racist trope to cast these actors as the antagonists.
The film stars Gibson alongside Emile Hirsch, Kate Bosworth, David Zayas, Stephanie Cayo, Will Catlett, Swen Temmel, Tyler Jon Olson, and Jorge Luis Ramos.
“Force of Nature,” directed by Michael Polish, known mostly for straight-to-video fare. arrives on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray on June 30.