Rent Oliver Sherman (2010)
3.3 of 5 from 47 ratings
1h 13min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Franklin Page (Donal Logue) is a war veteran who saw some ugly things in combat and has the missing finger to prove it. But seven years after returning home, Franklin has put the nightmares of the past behind him; he married his pretty sweetheart Irene (Molly Parker), they have two children, they share a comfortable home in the country and Franklin has a good job in a factory. One evening, there's a knock on the door and Franklin is surprised to find Sherman (Garret Dillahunt) standing on the porch. The two men served together in the Army and Franklin saved Sherman's life in a battle that saw Sherman take a bullet in the head. While Franklin is surprised that his buddy has shown up unannounced, he and Irene welcome him in and make a place for him at the dinner table. Sherman is clearly still coming to terms with the war and he has no family, no job and no home; Franklin isn't sure what to do for him but is willing to let him stay at his home for a few days. As the days pass, Sherman becomes a more uncomfortable and unstable presence, and Franklin has to weigh his loyalty to Sherman against his responsibility to his family. - Actors:
- Molly Parker, Donal Logue, Garret Dillahunt, Jamie Lyle, Fiona Highet, Duane Murray, Kiva Carlson, Marc Strange, Kristin Shepherd, Marla J. Hayes, Clayton Windatt, Verlyn Plowman, Mark Carins, Kaelan Meunier, Ava Corbeil
- Directors:
- Ryan Redford
- Producers:
- Eric Jordan, Paul Stephens
- Writers:
- Rachel Ingalls, Ryan Redford
- Studio:
- Cinefile
- Genres:
- Drama, Thrillers
- Countries:
- Canada
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Reviews of Oliver Sherman
Critic review
Oliver Sherman review by Melissa Orcine - Cinema Paradiso
Sherman Oliver (Garret Dillahunt) is a war veteran, surviving a brutal hit to his skull which is evident in a nasty scar on his head. After years of service, he has become a civilian and one day, he turns up at the home of the fellow soldier who saved his life. Husband-and-wife Franklin (Donal Logue) and Irene (Molly Parker) Page welcome Sherman into their home, living with them and their two children. There was no reason not to let Sherman into their lives.
Soon enough, the Pages realize that Sherman could be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and the dilemma: Should Sherman stay or should Sherman totally go? ‘Oliver Sherman’ is the debut feature film of writer-director Ryan Redford, an examination on how war affects the lives of its soldiers after they have been discharged and have gone home.
‘Oliver Sherman’ proves to be a quiet film with an apolitical message that yells from start to finish. We don’t know from which war Sherman and Franklin served in, we are not told of their experiences during that time, but the aftermath of violence is palpable and tense. An independent film without much use for original score let alone familiar music, ‘Oliver Sherman’ wishes its slow pace to accelerate into an all-consuming denouement, leaving you unsettled and thinking.
So many details are withheld from its audience: character back stories, the time and setting of the piece, the motivation and issues that push its leads to do what they do. As Sherman, Garrett Dillahunt has the stoic stance of a man ravaged by violence; you’re told he’s good but he’s changed somehow, and whether for the worse, it may be possible.
As Franklin, Donal Logue exemplifies the other side of the coin: a man who has moved on; war is not part of his present for he is a man who has overcome. There are many films about war, of soldiers in battle, but too few about their lives right after, where they are to pick up the pieces and rebuild their stunted lives – that’s where ‘Oliver Sherman’ comes in.