Design

You know you're probably not going to watch a blockbuster when you see the same name listed as director, writer, and lead; when that name has a one title filmography; and when the Special Thanks section of the credits begins with "Mom & Dad". So it is with "Design", a low level indie with all the ear marks of a first outing. Though this film is a marginal, muddled, cyanotic mess, it does manifest potential in the earnest, sincere, and believable performances is eeks from a cast of relative unknowns. And, although Nicholas Cage lookalike Cole appears to be a work in progress with real potential, this product has little to offer the public at large. For indie freaks only. (C)

This film is about a set of interconnected characters and their fates. It is very dark, as the characters all seem to be doomed, disturbed, or both. The performances are all very good, with Daniel J Travanti standing out as the alcoholic father/salesman. It is also visually very striking, including the use of flash frames. The look is also partly the result of it being shot on a type of film that is close to obsolete, called Super 16 reversal. The story was apparently inspired by a poem of the same name by Robert Frost. Seen at Cinequest (the San Jose, CA film festival) on 3/3/2002.

Note that the cinematographer is the infamous Pete Biagi of HBO "Project Greenlight" fame, although the director of this film (who also wrote the film and played one of the main characters) swears that Pete was great to work with and plans to continue to work with him.

I'm probably a but biased as I took part in the making of this film and know how much went into it and so much that wound up on the cutting room floor, but if you can go in with an open mind and set aside the idea that a modern film should consist of green screen and CGI. Very few films these days take the time to actually delve into characters and development and story telling. Jennifer Morrison is wonderful, and if she'd been cast as Black Widow for this, it would have been a much bigger picture. I'm not saying anything negative about the very talented Scarlet Johansson, only that the movie really didn't get its due because it is an independent feature and fueled by artists dedicated to their crafts and not product placement or an extended cinematic universe.

Take a chance on an independent venture and put aside popcorn movie thinking. Especially considering it's a Chicago based production by Chicago artists, it deserves more acclaim than it received. There are no Michael Bay explosions or fancy special effects - just a filmmaker telling a story because he has something to say and everyone involved cares about the material.

Design reminds me of what "indie" used to mean. The performances are real and gritty portrayals of flawed characters doing their best to survive a number of unnamed historical wounds. The concept is simple but the execution is still compelling and surprising. I would like to see more from this writer/director. He seems to be a great actor as well, which is unexpected. Worth the watch!

Brian McCaskill once again steals the show in this runaway dark comedy romp. As "Sven", a slightly off-center office clerk who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, McCaskill delivers his best performance since "Serious Business". While we are waiting for the rumored director's cut of "Serious Business" to finally arrive on DVD we will have to relish every minute of Sven's time on screen.

My only real problem with "Design" is I thought it would have a little more of McCaskill's signature tongue-in-cheek zingers he is so well known for. If you are mostly familiar with McCaskill from "Serious Business" then this new, drier approach in "Design" may seem a little stiff at first. After all, in the arena of wry quips he is only rivaled by off-screen friend Hugh Grant. Granted, Sven's speech impediment didn't give McCaskill a lot to work with, but they could have had a dream sequence or something where we could get to see him riff a bit more.

Other than that, all around awesome flick. The action rocks and the jokes are hilarious. If I were casting the movie I might have gotten someone other than Daniel J. Travanti to play Peter Mallow; he just seemed uncomfortable with the role and ends up turning in a disappointing performance. But he is on screen for such a short time that it doesn't at all weigh down the film. All around, I highly reccommend seing "Design" but only after seeing "Serious Business" at least twice.