Considering the state of the independent film industry these days - where you need "name" actors just to get noticed, let alone to get into the likes of Sundance - it is indeed a major accomplishment that writer-producer-director (and more) Paul DeNigris made his little $75k movie with no stars and not only got it into 5 film festivals but also got it distributed. The film's acceptance into the IFP Market - the event that launched Edward Burns, Kevin Smith, and Quentin Tarantino to name a few - speaks volumes as to the quality of the project in every regard. Having seen it myself at one of the festivals (Garden State), I can say that what I enjoyed most was the way the film honors its film noir roots in terms of plot, style, and iconography while at the same time making the genre feel fresh.
The way color is used in particular seems like a natural progression from noir's expressionistic use of light and shadow in its black and white cinematography - light and color work thematically to help tell the story and aren't just "eye candy." Neither are the visual effects, which the director loves to point out but frankly, I didn't notice them. Whatever effects work was done must serve the story so seamlessly that I just didn't give them a second thought. All in all, the way the images were handled really transcends the film's digital origins. For a first-time director, DeNigris coaxed strong performances from his actors, most notably leads Tully and Kilgore as well as supporting player Briscoe. The music - both the score by composer Starr and the standalone songs by indie rock acts - served the material well.
This is a good, twisty mystery, well-told within the confines of its budget and technology. Other than name actors, what more could you want? I personally, can't wait to see what this filmmaker does next.
The way color is used in particular seems like a natural progression from noir's expressionistic use of light and shadow in its black and white cinematography - light and color work thematically to help tell the story and aren't just "eye candy." Neither are the visual effects, which the director loves to point out but frankly, I didn't notice them. Whatever effects work was done must serve the story so seamlessly that I just didn't give them a second thought. All in all, the way the images were handled really transcends the film's digital origins. For a first-time director, DeNigris coaxed strong performances from his actors, most notably leads Tully and Kilgore as well as supporting player Briscoe. The music - both the score by composer Starr and the standalone songs by indie rock acts - served the material well.
This is a good, twisty mystery, well-told within the confines of its budget and technology. Other than name actors, what more could you want? I personally, can't wait to see what this filmmaker does next.