'Hick' reminds me of 'Thelma & Louise'. Both flicks have similar elements: cars, dusty out-west road-trip action, an older woman who offers guidance to a younger woman, women who have run-ins with dangerous men, guns. But, T&L had Ridley Scott's uber-cool direction and a very sharp script by Callie Khouri.
'Hick' is directed by Derick Martini who did garner good reviews for 'Lymelife' but that's his only other effort. His camera feels self-conscious and blocking is odd. Often, there's too much negative space in the frame. The actors don't seem comfortable, like there was bad energy on set.
The screenplay is a first effort at adaptation by Andrea Portes from her novel of the same title. This can be a bad thing. Novelists often are very poor screenwriters especially when adapting their own work. Dialogue ends up being long-winded and roundabout yet very on-the-nose (yes, at the same time), and too many beats from the novel get transferred to the movie making for scenes that are oh so precious and leave you squirming in your seat.
Using all-caps text to inform us we're seeing something that's 'INNOCENT' or 'HONEST' or 'BRUTAL' or 'CONTROVERSIAL' is fairly weak. With such technique, the only thing missing is exclamation points. Calling Martini an 'acclaimed filmmaker' strikes me as sleight of hand.
This gives me the feeling someone is hiding something. If the movie turns out to be entertaining, they got a raw deal from the guys that put this trailer together. On the other hand, if the direction and writing was poor and the movie is that bad, the guys that put this trailer together did an excellent job.
Waiting to see which is the case.
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