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Dir. Daniel Kraus
Rating: 6.8 | 0 User Reviews | Send to Friend
By Jere Paolini
Welcome to Brunswick County, North Carolina, a locale readymade for slasher flicks and David Lynch-style freak fests. Indeed the bizarrely disturbing yet painfully droll drama that unfolds in "Sheriff" feels as though Lynch himself decided to combine "The Office" with "Reno 911," and turn it into a surreal psychological character piece. But alas (for humanity's sake) this little slice of Americana pie is the real deal. Sheriff Ronald E. Hewett is the law in these parts, and he means business. He's a surprisingly busy man, as Brunswick County is home to murderers, gamblers, larcenists, and nudists. (Oh, my!) Yet he finds time to attend middle-school pep rallies and the annual sheriff's schmoozing summit -- where he wins Sheriff of the Year for his region (is it a coincidence that it also happens to be the year that he's followed around by a film crew?). Certainly the principal that holds "to observe something is to change it" is at work here; Hewett is well aware of the camera's presence and plays the role of thoughtful leader. Unfortunately we're talking about a 2-quart brain in a 10-gallon hat. Kraus shows no mercy as he points his camera like a loaded gun at the sheriff and his dimwitted deputies. His filming style is stark while his editing is fierce in its unsympathetic portrayal of rural America. (Kraus shot, cut, directed, and produced). The end result is a vastly interesting new voice in the world of documentary filmmaking. Be on the lookout for the second film in Kraus' so-called Work Series: "Musician," out later this year.
The DVD is without bells and whistles, but well worth the rent.
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