Sovereign (dir. Christian Swegal)
By: Tarek Fayoumi
This is a different role for Nick Offerman. One where he plays a man that is against all forms of the law and foundations of the legal system and is on the run to constitute his rights without government means. Written and directed by Christen Swegal, Sovereign has meaning that weaves realism to the fullest. Swegal’s film operates somewhat unconventionally, rambling down the road towards confrontation. The film is one that has received lots of press at the Tribeca Film Festival this year, and my appreciation for Sovereign exists within its narrative of beliefs. “Beliefs” that go to a point of impacting one's livelihood in a concerning and visceral direction.
The film starts with a vision of criminality and truancy on many fronts. It is all in the control of a “sovereign” citizen and father Jerry Kane, played by Nick Offerman (Civil War, Parks and Recreation) and his son Joe (Jacob Tremblay). The two go on the road promoting their anti-government views to encourage others to go in the direction of their extremist ideologies. Their highly unconventional beliefs include avoiding debts, like a mortgage to be paid, as well as Jerry’s feeling that if he is pulled over, his rights are being violated. Joe Kane however sees more of the angles. Joe sees that his father pushes boundaries, especially as Joe was home-schooled with little exposure to other ideas. His unique upbringing prompts young Joe to strive for a way out.
Sovereign delivers that harsh dynamic of tolerance. A cinematic direction that blurs reality in a sense to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Each choice has consequences. When the limit of the law starts to hit challenging buttons, officer John Bouchart (Dennis Quaid) comes in. He gets a sense of Joe’s situation with his father. His own son, Adam Bouchart (Thomas Mann), is training to become an officer creating a one-of-a-kind tension-filled ride.
I love the dynamic of the two sets of fathers and sons. One is trying to teach his son to ignore the law, and the other one is trying to teach his son to enforce it —the two aspects tango with political suspense. And the fueling aspect is that the harsher the scenarios get, the more of the anti-government words come into play. Offerman’s role is filled with a machine gun of words spewing ignorance and misbelief.
The landscape of wrongdoings is one that I feel carries a harsh tone when the consequences of ignoring reality finally hit. Jerry tries to get Joe to think that all systems set in place are flawed somehow. However, Joe sees why there are rules, and the common ground is one that tumbles into rough matters in Sovereign. The matter of disbelief can only be carried out for so long before consequences must come around.
Power vs power is the bond of Sovereign. It is best illustrated through the performances of Offerman and Quaid. The dynamic shifts of flowing above and below the law always hit a deficit at the surface. Sovereign builds its foundation around disaster only to beget further disaster. When that happens, it is like an earthquake of heavy and irreparable matters. But as is the case with natural disasters, one must consider the value of possessing the higher ground.
Target Score: 9/10 The dismissiveness and rebelliousness brings in hard lines that make it more drenching and cinematic to survive in the world of Christian Swegal’s Sovereign. A powerhouse crime thriller that greases the wheel with misdirection and elevates entitlement to new heights.