After kicking off with a Japanese Black Sabbath cover, Yakuza finger-cutting, and a beheading, we meet Odenkirk’s Ulysses Richardson, a sheriff who bounces from one temporary posting to the next. His latest assignment finds him helming the police force of the idyllic hamlet Normal, Minnesota. Things are, of course, not always as they appear, secrets bubble to the surface, and it all ratchets up to balls-to-the-wall carnage and mayhem.
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At this point, Odenkirk has the market cornered on bedraggled, aww-shucks every-men. He’s a master at making this type of schlub compelling, or, in this case, at least compelling enough. This ability is put to the test as the opening act of Kolstad’s script piles on one cliché after another. Ulysses is, of course, running from a broken marriage and tormented by a troubled past. Normal looks perfect at first glance. Hell, Henry Winkler is their mayor. But maybe it’s too perfect. Like, how did this town of 1800 people collect millions of dollars for a local fund raiser? The set-up cobbles together pieces lifted from every lawman-comes-to-town story you can think of, and the result is very blah, even with its star’s considerable charm.
The middle is where Normal peaks. All the tepid tension and build up comes together and things pop off in raucous, entertaining fashion. It’s part siege, part running street battle as Ulysses and two hapless bank robbers, Lori (Reena Jolly) and Keith (Brendan Fletcher), are hunted through the snow-covered burg by the now-fully-unleashed townsfolk. The action is frenetic and fast-paced, and it keeps coming. Wheatley has never been one to shy away from gore, so there’s plenty of blood and brutality on display.? This is what you came to this movie for, and it delivers.
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As fun as the action is, and it’s frequently damn fun—sometimes you need to blow up a priest with a stick of dynamite, right?—there’s little weight to it. We like Ulysses but know he’s never in any real danger. Lori and Keith wander out of the narrative and are just gone. Lena Headey shows up for a couple scenes with Odenkirk as a potential love interest, but her scenes go nowhere and could easily be removed. There’s a thread about Ulysses and Jess McLeod’s Alex, the child of the now-deceased previous sheriff. Again, it’s fine and adds texture, but outside of providing exposition, is of consequence. These dangling threads come and go at odd times and none of them really seem to matter.
Ben Wheatley is an interesting case. His best films feel like the work of a contrarian auteur, full of harsh violence, dark humor, and a twisted sensibility. I’m a big fan of High-Rise, Kill List, Sightseers, and a few others. Though some of his trademarks are present and accounted for, his personality doesn’t shine through. It’s slick and professionally put together but plays more like a gun-for-hire project, which is how I felt about Meg 2: The Trench. (Though it’s hard to fault a filmmaker for taking what was likely a big payday to make a silly giant shark movie with Jason Statham; every job I’ve ever done has been for much less.)
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It’s impossible for me to get out of here without discussing the ending. No surprise, it wraps up with a big ol’ shootout. That’s not a spoiler; that’s an inevitability with this movie. The scene itself is on par with the action you’ve seen by this point, splattery and full of violence. The problem is that how it comes to pass truly boggles the mind. It’s one of the most asinine choices I’ve ever seen. Basically, the narrative is done; the logic and feasibility of it may not hold up, but it’s an ending. Then a sheer accident, a moment of utter happenstance occurs and kicks off the final battle. It’s a goof straight out of a slapstick comedy, at complete tonal odds with the surrounding film, and has no place here. This action set piece happens because the filmmakers wanted or needed it to happen, not because the script sets it up or the film does anything to earn it. Like I said, the scene does its job, but as characters sever each other’s limbs and shoot one another in the face, I could never get past the absolute hack-ass justification for it all.
Overall, Normal is decent, and there are enough positives to give it at least a passing recommendation. It coasts on Bob Odenkirk’s ample charms and bouts of all-out cinematic violence. Again, the middle portion is a fine time. The filmmaking is strong, and if you can get past a snow-drift worth of cliches, questionable storytelling choices, and a few other hiccups, it’ll likely do the trick. [Grade: C+]
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