Review: Matt Damon is a man on a Marseille mission in the uneven but surprising 'Stillwater'

At the beginning of "Stillwater," Bill Baker (Matt Damon), an Oklahoma construction worker, stands amid the remnants of a house that's recently been destroyed by a tornado. He's dependably good at his job, even if it's just a temporary gig, something to tide him over while he looks for a more permanent position on an oil rig. Money and work have been scarce for a while, and the tornado, without affecting him directly, puts a cruel accent on the litany of disasters — alcoholism, unemployment, family estrangement, a criminal record — that his life has become. He's gotten used to combing through the wreckage; when he leaves town a few beats later, it's clear he's not leaving behind much.

Although it draws its title