Galveston is a gut-wrenchingly gritty film. Regardless of how it made me feel, I think I must have missed the message. By the end, I kept asking myself if the point was to feel sorry for the characters.
The movie begins with an empty house and a bad storm outside. We quickly transition into the main character, Roy (Ben Foster), learning he has an issue with his lungs. Before the doctor can tell him exactly what the prognosis is, he storms out of the office and the trouble and ensues. From the start, it is just bad news for Roy, until he begins to see his new acquaintance, Raquel (Elle Fanning), in a different light. Raquel is an escort who was kidnapped by the same people who try to kill Roy. He winds up saving her and her little sister but, he starts looking at her differently.
It is at this part of the film that I am the most uncomfortable and that is something to say because those moments are abundant. She is 19, looks 15, and she’s a kidnapped escort. It’s already hard for me to see the Fanning sisters as grownups but this was dark. It’s apparent that we are supposed to be upset with her life and disturbed at what she does, but I felt pressured into believing that connection was fine. He was too old for her. Perhaps that, too, was a mistake for Roy.
Regardless of the plot and narratives, all the actors were fantastic. I felt how real Ben and Elle lived these roles. The little girl even played her role well. This was a tough movie to watch so I can’t imagine how hard it was for everyone to work on.
The movie ends 20 years later, in that house from the beginning, with a couple of unexpected twists. As the credits began to roll, I still questioned what I just had watched. What was the purpose of most of it? Is it about facing your life head on? To be brave? I’m not quite sure still but I didn’t dislike it. I’m a fan of movies that go against the happy ending, fairytale life sometimes. It was definitely interesting, that’s for sure, but I wouldn’t pay to see it. However, because I was confused with most of it, I’ll give Galveston a 6.
