The Pen and the Sword

T.P.A.T.S is a thoughtfully paced film that borrows heavily from Ray Bradburry's Fahreheit 451 yet is able to stand on its' own. The film is at times difficult to follow in terms of logic but this also lends nicely to its' overall feel which is that of uncertainty. The uneven storytelling almost seems deliberate and makes for some excellent scenes/shots. As with his other films, Larouche incorporates plenty of great shots - the slow ominous dollies are classic Larouche but this time they are accompanied by some solid hand-held work which lend a sense of urgency to the scenes. The filmmakers also turn several locations into masterful "set pieces". Check out the airport (by far the best scene of the film) which truly looks like a "checkpoint" in an apocalyptic type future and the creepy library which could be mistaken for a scene from a Dario Argento flic. The only real low point of the film is the acting. The characters Fain and Blue are played very uneven. They lack credibility/presence. But because the story, music and style of the film are so strong, the acting can be overlooked. Larouche has constructed a solid short which is stripped down of special effects etc. and tells a story about a bleak future. The mention of Fahrenheit is sure to come up but T.P.A.T.S can definitely stand on its own. 7.5/10