EVENHAND American Directions

“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, investigates automobile accidents and ultimately recognize that danger and boredom are hazardous bedfellows.