Good suspense films can often be like compliments. They're not that frequent, but you really savor them when they surface. That said, the only thing harder to make than a good suspense movie may be a good low-budget, independent suspense movie. Somehow, against the odds, Brad Osborne has managed to pull it off with his debut picture, `Hall of Mirrors."
My preface for the rest of this article is this: I will probably often refer to this as a `film' even though it's not shot on film. In today's world of digital `filmmaking' this hardly bares worth mentioning. Then why do I mention it? Because Osborne and his crew have managed to shoot this project with a `film look' that lets you forget you're watching something that originated on videotape. In fact, the quality of the whole production is such that you're able to concentrate on the content of the story instead of the production value. If you've seen many low budget or independent films, you can appreciate how this enhances your chances of enjoying the movie.
There are many homages to the more popular filmmakers of the suspense genre in the film. Polanski, Mamet, even a Hitchcock cameo by the director. It follows the usual formula of the multiple-plot-twists-and-games-of-viewer-deception to the tee. What makes the movie good, though, is that the pacing, while brisk, is just herky-jerky and non-conventional enough to keep you guessing a little. Even if you figure out who you can trust, and who's conning who, you're never quite sure exactly when or in what scene it will become apparent to the characters. This and some clever dialogue in some scenes is what will hold you when you watch this picture.
The main character of the movie, `Dillon," is a life long loser with a serious gambling problem. In his attempts to wipe out his debt, he manages to dig a deeper and more dangerous hole for himself to climb out of. He's very much an anti-hero. While you don't necessarily empathize with his problems, you can certainly grasp the scope of them. Watching his spiral into a state of desperate measures, the audience will find itself wrapped up in his struggle to get control of his situation, and his life. It's hard to say too much about the story without giving away any of the more crucial plot points, but the ending of the film is where it makes its stake for being a very `non-formula' script.
A peppy script and tight editing are what ultimately sell this movie to the audience as something far more enjoyable than the average independent spare.
The production, while good, obviously took a back seat to the characters and plot development of this picture. A lesson that Hollywood could do itself a big favor to learn.
