Review of Child of God (2014) by Manny C — 09 Nov 2014

For whatever reason, James Franco takes a lot of flack for apparently doing too much. Acting, writing, directing, producing, teaching, being a student. Because he should be getting arrested? Franco takes on one challenge after another, whether its starring on Broadway in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men or directing adaptations of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and The Sound and The Fury.

Franco's newest directorial effort is a beaut. That would be Child of God, adapted from the 1973 novel by the great Cormac McCarthy. Working from a script Franco co-wrote with Vince Jolivette, and also co-starring, Franco takes on tough material. At the center of the film is Lester Ballard. played by Scott Haze in a mesmerizing performance.

Set in 1960's Sevier County, Tennessee, Lester is a lot to deal with. Since his father hanged himself Lester has become ever more antisocial, reduced to a grunting hermit shooting at strangers who try auctioning his property. When he finds a dead girl in a car and takes her home for sex, it's more than a little disturbing. McCarthy based his book off of the true crime story of Ed Gein, the 50's era serial killer whose life inspired both the novel and film Psycho and the the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Franco skillfully avoids cliches of horror and necrophilia, as well as condoning Lester's actions. McCarthy summed Lester up in words that Franco uses in voice-over and nearly every frame as a 'child of God much like yourself, perhaps.'.

Its ambitious, challenging filmmaking, elevated by Franco's compassionate, humane directing and Haze's incredible performance. Sure, the film stumbles on its attempt to blend tragedy with dark gallows humor, but Franco is walking the tightrope of balancing literature and cinema and it's more than fascinating to watch. Good on him.