At Any Price is a phenomenal piece of film making in every sense. It is the best film I have seen so far this year and is quite possibly one of the best I have seen in a decade. Writer-Director Ramin Bahrani made Goodbye Solo four years ago. That was my favorite film of 2009 and now Bahrani continues to prove that he is slowly but surely becoming the director to watch out for.
The film stars Dennis Quaid in the best performance I have seen in at least five years as Henry Whipple. He is a farmer whose job requires being completely unsympathetic and a complete ass in general. His son, Dean (Zac Efron) is a locally acclaimed race car driver hoping to make it in the big leagues. Henry's wife, Irene (Kim Dickens) knows he is cheating on her with Meredith (Heather Graham) and Dean's girlfriend, Cadence (Maika Monroe) attaches herself to his family because she doesn't really have one. This leads to a series of airing grievances, physical fights and competition---especially between Henry and Jim Johnson (Clancy Brown.)
Bahrani shows that he definitely knows what he's doing behind the camera. His screenplay is filled with a lot of sharp dialogue and his directing is perfect as he gets many shots in which you can see what a character is feeling just by the shot. However, credit should be given where it is earned which is why I have to point out that the actors helped Bahrani's film be great. Quaid is a pro at showing emotion through his eyes especially in a scene in which Dean tells him off. Efron, a man I never thought I would ever be able to take seriously, gives a fantastic performance. Dickens and Monroe are both good as women who love the men in their life but hate themselves for it. Graham and Brown are effective supporting cast members. Also, this is my favorite type of film---a film about a small town where everyone knows everybody. I love the atmosphere of small town films. I would even go so far as to say that this is a better small town film than Fargo.
At Any Price may be a huge downer of a film. Let's just say things happen that can't be undone. However, this is also an enjoyable, smart, savvy and overall fantastic film. If you have had an opportunity to see this film and you have not---shame on you. It would be worth seeing for Quaid's performance alone but there is so much more greatness to it.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for sexual content including a strong graphic image and for language)
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