The Order

Nicholas Hoult

Justin Kurzel's The Order is a decent, if not particularly interesting crime drama. Jude Law plays an FBI agent investigating a series of major crimes in the Pacific Northwest during the early 1980s. In the course of his investigation, the agent discovers the perpetrators are white supremacists, the titular order, who have splintered off the Aryan Nation. The order is led by the charismatic Bob Matthews, brilliantly portrayed by Nicholas Hoult in a so good he's quite scary performance. Law's character enlists a Coeur d'Alene deputy (Tye Sheridan) to help flush out the evildoers while putting up with the usual barbs from his superior (an underused Jurnee Smollett). Though this is compelling, mostly true to life tale, Kurzel's lack of intensity as a director causes this film to rarely rise above the routine.

Matthews was a real life character, but the identities of almost all of the law enforcement officers have been changed. Some people may have heard of this case because, among his many felonies, Matthews masterminded the murder of Denver talk show host Alan Berg (a perfectly cast Marc Maron); a crime which was the basis of Oliver Stone's Talk Radio. Zach Baylin's screenplay, adapted from the non-fiction The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, offers a firm foundation for a film. Events and their repercussions are clearly and logically laid out. I appreciated how Baylin presents a contrast, or lack thereof, between the families of Matthews and the deputy; both seemingly idyllic and well-adjusted. Sheridan's character is married to a Native American woman (an underused Morgan Holmstrom) who fears her his husband is being led to his doom by the reckless Law; and if you've ever seen a movie, like the one with Bambi and Thumper, you know this will prove true.

Matthews seems to have his wife firmly under his thumb, but she (the underused Alison Oliver) is beginning to have misgivings when Bob starts giving their son lessons in automatic weaponry and, especially, when he impregnates another woman. The big contrast is actually between the two family men and the bereft Law whose wife has dumped him and stopped returning his calls. Law's character is supposed to be an adrenaline junkie whose rash nature jeopardizes those around him, like Al Pacino's character in Heat. Law's performance is adequate, but he never captures his character's fury. The only miscasting in the film, but it's a fatal one. Likewise, Kurzel's direction is merely serviceable. Some of his duds seem preordained, especially Assassin's Creed, but even when gifted with promising material, here and with Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang, he has yet to deliver a satisfying film.