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NO GOD, NO MASTER – The SLIFF 2013 Review
The new NO GOD, NO MASTER focuses on New York City as a terrorist explosion claims the lives of innocents and holds its citizens in the grip of fear, not a dozen years ago, but all the way back in 1920. GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK star David Straithairn plays federal investigator William Flynn who teams up with fellow agent Ravarini (Sam Witwer) to locate the sender of packages of homemade bombs addressed to prominent citizens. The search takes them into the shadowy world of the anarchist movement, which included several followers that advocated violence toward the high class “robber barons”. Flynn’s search leads him to question several historical figures including millionaire industrialist John D.Rockefeller and social activist Emma Goldman. But Flynn also must contend with his politically ambitious boss A. Mitchell Palmer (“Twin Peaks” star Ray Wise) who, with young, zealous bureau rising star J. Edgar Hoover, illegally jails hundreds of recent immigrants hoping to eventually deport them. Hmmm, sounds a lot like recent headlines. Writer/director Terry Green intercuts the true detective tale with the tragic story of Bartolomeo Vanzetti leading up to his murder conviction along with fellow immigrant Nicola Sacco. The film boasts some wonderful locations with Milwaukee doubling for near turn of the century New York along with authentic period costumes and classic automobiles. Green juggles the stories expertly and builds several suspenseful set pieces. And character actor Straithairn makes a very believable, morally-conflicted hero. NO GOD, NO MASTER is an engaging historical political thriller that confronts many of today’s problems by revisiting the troubled times of a long ago era.
NO GOD, NO MASTER screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas at 9:30 PM on Tuesday, November 19 and at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, November 20 as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival
For ticket information, visit Cinema St. Louis’ site HERE
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