IF you harm a man’s dog, either he’ll kill you or he’ll die try ing. If that sounds like a far-reaching premise, it’s not – if you’re a dog lover.
That’s the plot of “Red,” a movie about a Korean War vet, Avery (Brian Cox), who encounters three troublemaking teens when he and his 14-year-old dog, Red, are out fishing.
Not one to take the ensuing cruelty to his dog sitting down, Avery decides to seek justice. When justice is not forthcoming, he pays a visit to the kids’ father (Tom Sizemore). And when that goes nowhere, he seeks the help of a local reporter (Kim Dickens).
That’s when the plot starts to spin out of control, as Avery relates a backstory that is filled with unimaginable horror. The future story as it unfolds doesn’t just parallel the past, but it becomes every bit as tragic. If one giant tragedy strains credibility, two become fantastical.
But – and it’s an important “but” – what makes this movie worth seeing is the acting, which is superb throughout. Cox brilliantly underplays Avery, Sizemore is perfect as the arrogant dad, and the three boys (Noel Fisher, Kyle Gallner and Shiloh Fernandez) are right on pitch. Red the dog’s pretty wonderful, too.
Running time: 100 minutes. Unrated (graphic violence and adult subject matter). At Cinema Village, 12th Street, east of Fifth Avenue.