American Fable

I'm not too sure exactly what 'American Fable' was trying to be. It's listed as a thriller on its IMDb page, and there are elements to it that could certainly make it a thriller, only it doesn't feel like a thriller. The problem is I'm not sure exactly what it does feel like. It's a story that kind of just drifts along until it ends. Even though there is an interesting scenario at the heart of the film, I still never felt like I cared what was going to happen next, because the film didn't feel like it had a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Unfortunately, because of this the end product is a rather bland film.

I suspect writer/director Anne Hamilton had a vision for this film which was to entrance the audience and create an almost fairy tale like world. Sadly though, she just seemed to find the nothingness middle ground of everything. I think that's the biggest problem with the film is that it never commits to any direction and it never dares to be anything great. I think Hamilton had the idea right somewhere along the line, she just perhaps didn't have the writing and film making skills to put it together. It's a shame too because films like this, when done right, can be an absolute treat. Sadly, 'American Fable' is a misfire.