Ain't Them Bodies Saints

Writer/director David Lowery shows a massive amount of promise with this Texas-set crime drama about Bob, a convict (Casey Affleck) escaping from prison to be with his wife, Ruth (Rooney Mara), and new daughter. The film is a slow burn, featuring a typically great performance from Affleck as Bob, a sad romantic type who takes the fall after his wife shoots a deputy (Ben Foster). Things get further complicated when the deputy befriends Ruth and starts to get the notion he could be part of her and the daughter’s lives. Keith Carradine is tricky and sinister as Skerrit, protective of Ruth and responsible for a lot of Bob’s troubles. In addition to Affleck, Mara and Foster are equally good, especially Foster. He used to be an actor who rubbed me the wrong way, but that has changed a lot over the last half-decade. Lowery has a distinctive style that will hopefully follow him into future projects.