Treed Murray is one of those films that you'll either love or loathe depending on your preferences. It's very character-driven and surprisingly psychological in nature, exploring the parallels and unexpected commonalities between a wealthy family-man, and a gang of young hoodlums who just happen to cross paths with him when he mildly injures one of them (without meaning to of course). They chase him up a tree, and the rest is history. These bad seeds drag the poor guy through his worst nightmares, including a young addict girl named Kelly (Jessica Greco from 'Welcome to Dead House') framing him for cheating on his wife and thus causing his already dysfunctional marriage to die that very night. However Murray finds that he's less than the innocent victim, and he begins to connect with the gang, realizing that they've all had their past traumas and that they all have friends and family even if they don't always display the best behaviour or judgment.
Don't be put off by the idea of the drama though, because this film has a lot of comedy, too. We've got everything from a delusional homeless man (Julian Richings from 'Patch Town' and 'Hard Core Logo') thinking that the kids climbing up the tree are angels, to the gang's hilarious attempt to get Murray to say sorry. I honestly can't think of any bad qualities that 'Treed Murray' even has. It has some profanity but not to the point of being vulgar or obnoxious. Its acting is amazing. The soundtrack is subtle and neither invasive nor annoying. The story in and of itself is definitely original, too. All in all this is a classic of not only Canadian cinema, but also of the Nineties, and it has a distinct 1990's vibe that resonates throughout, yet it isn't outdated or "old" in the slightest. Excellent film, and one that everyone should see at least once.
Don't be put off by the idea of the drama though, because this film has a lot of comedy, too. We've got everything from a delusional homeless man (Julian Richings from 'Patch Town' and 'Hard Core Logo') thinking that the kids climbing up the tree are angels, to the gang's hilarious attempt to get Murray to say sorry. I honestly can't think of any bad qualities that 'Treed Murray' even has. It has some profanity but not to the point of being vulgar or obnoxious. Its acting is amazing. The soundtrack is subtle and neither invasive nor annoying. The story in and of itself is definitely original, too. All in all this is a classic of not only Canadian cinema, but also of the Nineties, and it has a distinct 1990's vibe that resonates throughout, yet it isn't outdated or "old" in the slightest. Excellent film, and one that everyone should see at least once.