"You
wanna help people? You arrest them. That's what you do;
you're a cop." Those are the words of wisdom
Officer Ted Morning offers new partner Officer Rob
Francis during his first week on the job in San
Lovisa, Texas.
Equal
parts cocky high school quarterback and rugged cowboy,
Morning (Bill Sage) finds joy in the minutiae of small
town cop life, flashing a lurid grin while he lights a
prostitute's cigarette or manhandles a teenage dope
dealer. Francis is quickly dubbed "Saint
Francis" by civilians who can't help but compare
his mellow nature to Morning's rabid bullying. Although
seemingly polar opposites, the two partners slowly
adjust to each other's style in the midst of the
unpredictable aggression that punctuates the slow
atmosphere of country life.
Directed
by Joseph Pierson, EVENHAND is a methodically paced and
devastating film that follows Officers Francis and
Morning around San Lovisa as they eat muffins,
investigate automobile accidents and ultimately
recognize that danger and boredom are hazardous
bedfellows.
-Amy Nicholson