''Big Muddy'' is a 2014 Canadian neo-western crime drama directed by

Jefferson Moneo Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian footb ...

, set in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. The film follows Martha (

Nadia Litz Nadia Litz (born December 26, 1976) is a Canadian actress and director. Early life Litz was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A former child actor, she has described herself as somewhat ambitious. She is of Russian, Polish and British descent. She to ...

) and her son Andy ( Justin Kelly), as they seek sanctuary at her childhood home on a ranch, owned by Stan (

Stephen McHattie Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1946)Other sources cite 1945, 1947, and 1948. is a Canadian actor. Since beginning his professional career in 1970, he has amassed over 200 film and television credits. He won the Genie Award for Best Sup ...

), pursued both by Andy's father—himself a fugitive—and one of Martha's criminal associates. ''Big Muddy'' was based on a short student film that Moneo had directed at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and presented at the

Cinéfondation La ''Cinéfondation'' is a foundation under the aegis of the Cannes Film Festival, created to inspire and support the next generation of international filmmakers. It was created in 1998 by Gilles Jacob. Since then it has developed complementary ...

section of the

2011 Cannes Film Festival The 64th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition. South Ko ...

. While the short film, which was written by classmate Brian Paccione, had been set in New York City, Moneo opted to set his feature adaptation in his home province. It was shot in 20 days in 2013, both

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

in the

Assiniboia Assiniboia District refers to two historical districts of Canada's Northwest Territories. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation. Historical usage ''For more information on the history of the provisional districts, see also Distric ...

region in southern

, and mixes elements of

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

with those of classic westerns.

Cast

as Martha Barlow * Justin Kelly as Andy Barlow *

David La Haye David La Haye (born April 19, 1966) is a Canadian actor. Career He began his career in films in Yves Simoneau's ''Dans le ventre du dragon'' opposite such veteran stars as Rémy Girard and Pierre Curzi. With piercing eyes and an intense physic ...

as Donovan Fournier *

as Stan Barlow * James Le Gros as Buford Carver * Rossif Sutherland as Tommy Valente * Holly Deveaux as June Baker * Rob van Meenen as Bill Wilson

References

External links

* 2014 films Canadian crime drama films English-language Canadian films Contemporary Western films Films shot in Saskatchewan Films set in Saskatchewan 2014 crime drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s Canadian films {{2010s-crime-drama-film-stub