Raspberry Heaven

This was a really smart indie thriller. Kept my interest throughout with many faceted characters revealing more and more apparently contradictory events in their collective pasts. Well cast with great ensemble interplay. DRESSED TO KILL set in the Pacific Northwest! The look of it was obviously well thought out and thematically consistent. Hard to do in the low budget indie world. Wonder what else this Oas guy's got in store for us. When character drives plot so effectively one has to wonder if he can top this intelligent adult-themed work. One has to hope he'll keep it up. M. Night watch out, Oas is gaining on you. In this film you never know what you know until it's too late! The switch overs just keep on coming. Every word and action counts.

Raspberry Heaven starts with a bang when Angie, a young woman flashes back to a violent incident from her childhood. She's grown up now and living with her brother, Kurt. But they have a secret, and a large amount of cash -- the serial numbers on the bills show that all of their money is twenty years old. They come to the attention of Detective Purdue, who begins to investigate who they are and where they came from with the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Andrews. Layer upon layer of mystery is gradually revealed as if peeling an onion, one layer at a time. Dr. Andrews psycho-analyzes both Angie and Kurt, who both have deep seated psychological problems. Det. Purdue investigates from the police's perspective and discovers something truly shocking which is well worth waiting for as the mystery is finally revealed in a violent and shocking conclusion. I highly recommend this movie. I would compare it to the great mysteries of Alfred Hitchcock, like Vertigo and Rear Windnow.

A Clinical Psychologist turned movie-maker? The first finished product of this interesting career transposition is Raspberry Heaven, written and directed by David Oas, Ph.D. The good news is that there is rich substance to be found in this psychological thriller. The bad news is that you may have to work to get to it. The film is filled with flaws. It is awkward and often amateurish, too obviously the work of a fledgling team. Dr. Oas seems overly absorbed in an intricate story which ends up being told in convoluted fashion. Still, a background ambiance of authenticity permeates and piques interest. Psychologist Oas has been there and infuses the film with insider knowledge of a cadre of main characters, bound together through pain and ghosts, trying to help in spite of themselves. There is transcendence prowling about in the periphery that is worth noting as well as the important question of who will help society's wounded helpers. Keep at it, Dr. Oas! As for prospective viewers, check this out and look beyond the good doctor's rookie errors. I bet his next movie will see the movie-maker gaining more ground on the Psychologist.

Angie is a darkly disturbed young woman whose moods and personality appear to shift before our eyes. Her brother, Kurt, is another dark soul, whose joyless dedication to protecting his sister lets us know that, in spite of her sometimes hostile demeanor and aggressive tendencies, this girl needs a lot of protecting. As we are drawn into their lives, past and present, the audience begins to understand the mutual dependence and alienation of these two vulnerable central characters. The secondary characters are equally intense. Drawn with sensitivity and insight, the personalities who populate this taut drama are both believable and bizarre. Their psychological complexity infuses their pain and conflict with genuine humanity and elicits the compassion and concern of the viewer. The tension of the plot and evolution of the characters keeps the audience engaged. There are twists and turns, surprises and resolutions. The dialogue is well-crafted, pacing is quick but not breathless. An exciting first effort from a promising writer/director, Raspberry Heaven leaves us looking forward to what comes next from David Oas.