TEXAS HEART (2016)
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2016 David N. Butterworth

** (out of ****)

Juniper, Texas. Population: 867. A town for which the word "sleepy" was probably coined. Or, as the curmudgeonly old gas station attendant puts
it, "pretty much anybody that wants to live here already does."
But Peter is the exception. He's played by Erik Fellows, channeling
Eric Roberts, but still a lightweight performer despite his angular
charms. After losing a big case back East, the corrupt defense attorney relocates to Juniper in a DIY witness protection attempt. Calling himself Frank and claiming to be a writer, he moves into the old Chigger's place (Chigger shot himself on the front porch so the house has sat empty for a while) where it seems unlikely that crime boss Mrs. Smith (Lin Shaye) and
her cronies will find him.
Until, that is, Frank uncharacteristically sheds his disguise to
defend Tiger, the "village idiot" (Kam Dabrowski), who's been fingered in
the disappearance of a young girl, played by Daniella Bobadilla (Charlie Sheen's volatile daughter on TV's "Anger Management"). John Savage puts in
a rent-paying appearance as Carl, Alison's boozy washout of a father.
"Texas Heart" is not unlike a multi-car pile-up on the interstate (in which nobody, thank god, was hurt). You know it's tacky to look, but you
keep on looking just the same. Somehow the film drags you along to the
bitter end--its characters are mostly well defined and its plotting mostly makes sense and everyone involved appears to be giving it their best shot, mostly.
That Peter would risk everything to defend Dabrowski's character might raise some dubious eyebrows, but Mark David's film wears its heart so high
on its sleeve that light bruising is inevitable. At the end of the day, however, you're more likely to slope away from Juniper with a dismissive
shrug than with a solid, heartfelt recommendation.

--
David N. Butterworth
rec.arts.movies.reviews
butterworthdavidn@gmail.com

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