Delia’s Gone Review
Delia’s Gone is a very pretty movie, well made and often well acted, but without a lot to say.
When Louis (Stephan James), a man with a traumatic brain injury who has served 5 years in prison for what he believes is the murder of his sister, is visited by Stacker (Travis Fimmel), he discovers that her death was not his fault. Busting out of the mental health ward he is now homed in, Louis goes on a violent journey to track down the people who did kill his sister; or more importantly, to track down the truth.
Director Robert Budreau (who also wrote the screenplay with Michael Hamblin) tackles Delia’s Gone with a sure hand, mixing some tremendously beautiful landscapes of this small town with intricate closeups that get to the heart of these characters. He deals ably and effectively with Louis’ trauma and unique sensibility, and in that vein he is partnered very effectively with Stephan James who turns in a fantastic performance. James, who continues to make great strides in his career, is sure to be a Hollywood A-lister in no time.
There’s quite a mix of talent on display here too. Fimmel is very good in a small role as Stacker; using those remarkable eyes of his to great effect to convey the deep well of sorrow that is his character. Paul Walter Hauser and Marisa Tomei have a somewhat factitious relationship as the lead detective back on the beat and the now Sheriff chafing at being re-bridled under an old leash. They both do fine, but they have certainly done better work before, and their characters are deeply underutilised.
That is perhaps true of the whole film, which fundamentally has structural and depth and dialogue issues that the competent directing, a stacked cast and some lovely cinematography cannot overcome. The movie just doesn’t have enough in it to make it that interesting, and the eventual mystery is barely there. Fran and Bo as the warring cops are so shallow as characters that they cannot ever really register as interesting, Stacker is also a cardboard cutout, and even Louis feels underwritten, despite being the lead. The film is only 90 minutes, but it isn’t a challenge to watch, and had there been a little more complexity to the film I would have gladly watched another 30 minutes in this world.
The movie drags even with this lack of plot, because it feels like it is trying to stretch the runtime to hit that perfect 90 minute window. There are a lot of elements, in fact, that feel a bit like they were trying to make this a saleable product - the presence of Hauser and Tomei and Fimmel for example. But what is most interesting about this is James’ performance, and the underlying mystery, and the scenic elements. It’s a well made film; one just wishes that Budreau trusted his artistry more, because he certainly possesses it in spades.
In the end, this is the sort of movie you’ll certainly have no regrets watching; there is a lot to like, and it can be a very beautiful, meditative film. It’s overarching message might not be strong, and the ending may not be as cathartic as you’d like, but the journey is contemplative enough and trusts the audience enough that the film has worth.
