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| Mar 10, 2002filmthreat.com
Unfortunately, although "The Slaughter Rule" manages to avoid the syrupy sentimentality of, say, "Hoosiers," it doesn't quite know how to find its own way.
The next best thing about the film is how well it captures not only the speed and savageness of six-man football, but the rural, rugged and hard scrabble Montana terrain in which it's played as well.
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Film Journal International
THE SLAUGHTER RULE Rated:R For movie details, please click here .
One grim fairy tale, The Slaughter Rule, set in snowy, bleak Montana, is the twisted tale of the murky relationship between "normal" high schooler Roy Chutney (Ryan Gosling) and his gay football coach, Gideon (David Morse).
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The Land of Eric
The intensity of some scenes is palpable; the two actors work very well together.
There are uncomfortable moments between them
Roy's best friend, an American Indian named Tracey (Eddie Spears), soon joins the team, too.
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Chicago Tribune
Written and directed by brothers Alex and Andrew Smith, "The Slaughter Rule" premiered at last year's Sundance film festival, where it won admirers among audiences and critics alike.
As we soon discover, with Roy and almost every character in this gravely sincere film, that deer isn't just trapped -- it's lethally entangled in metaphor.
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eFilmCritic.com
The Slaughter Rule, shot using a wide-screen process, looks terrific.
Their relationship is at the heart of The Slaughter Rule (the title is a literal reference to the game, but also to Roys learning to accept responsibility for the fate of others).
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Los Angeles Times
Written and directed by brothers Alex and Andrew Smith, "The Slaughter Rule" premiered at last year's Sundance film festival, where it won admirers among audiences and critics alike.
As we soon discover, with Roy and almost every character in this gravely sincere film, that deer isn't just trapped -- it's lethally entangled in metaphor.
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Combustible Celluloid
The Slaughter Rule is a movie that wants to be brutal, but it pulls every punch.
Recently seen in Hearts in Atlantis, Dancer in the Dark and Proof of Life, Morse is one of those reliable character actors, not unlike John C. Reilly, who stabilizes a movie but never gets credit for it.
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