COMPLACENT directed by Munroe who has been at it for several years appears to be a micro-budget quickly and hastily shot film. The film portrays dysfunctional suburban American life and has multiple characters and multiple relationships. It is kinda like an amateur student film version of MAGNOLIA.
The core relationship is between two sisters Myah (Cerina Vincent) and Beth (Kerri Green) who look nothing like sisters at all. In addition Vincent appears badly cast in this film -- she sports what appear to be large fake breasts, a spray tan, and a hard muscular body and she is supposed to be the moral center of the film, a strong woman all about love, emotion, being real, and standing up against dysfunctional relationships. She would be better cast as a scantily clad screaming girl in a horror flick (which she has done) or the call girl or Bally's personal trainer with fake breasts and a tanning package. Kerri Green as her sister "BETH" gives a stronger performance and is better cast.
The photography and sound is poor in the film -- looks like cheap video and rushed sound editing but these are typical of indie projects. The camera angles too are very jarring and do not cut well together during the dining table scenes (which are used as chapters in the film). And the sets look cheap -- but maybe that was the point being that the film is about middle class suburban America.
There are some positives: Keir O' Donnel, who also acts in the film and gives a strong performance. And the story works overall and has some nice reveals and ties in together well in the end.
