Faults

If you go for a treatment, you might look for something conventional, something that has proved to work, because it's based on a formula. This ain't it! Let me make this clear from the beginning, even if some might claim to see where this is going, you can have a lot of fun watching it develop and going to its destination.

The acting is really great and even if the main character is a bit unlikeable, he still is able to pull quite a few things off. The story is weird and a bit all over the place, but it works for its purpose (downfalls and "duh" moments included). While not perfect, we need more movies who dare to be different. Even if they make us uncomfortable watching them

I thanked myself for watching this movie. Why? Because I simply stumbled into this movie by accident, because another great movie with Mary Elizabeth Winstead got me curious about this seemingly normal looking actress, who has such a mysterious, yet natural looking charisma, that I keep getting mesmerized by her acting performances...

This story is something else. It mistakenly looks like a somewhat silly comedy at the start. But soon I noticed the acting was a lot better than any other average comedy and the jokes were quite dark and painful, yet spot on effective AND FUNNY.

Then the acting and the story got even better half way through, with lots of quirky, mindboggling plot turns.

And then the final part of this movie really convinced me I had just seen one of the best quirky, yet simultaneously uplifting comedies of the last year.

Probably best suited for an arthouse audience, who likes quirky, dark comedies, with brilliant plot turns and subtle acting performances.

Endnote: look at the poster. What do you see?

Seeing the interesting premise as well as being a big fan of Riley Stearns' second feature (The Art of Self-Defense) made me want to check this one out. Comparing the two they have a lot in common, themes like loneliness, being in control of your own life and the need to belong, as well as a good amount of dark humor are all in there. Even though it does slow down a bit midway through, the characters are interesting and the dialogues witty enough to carry the viewer through to a great ending.

P. S. I was really glad to see Leland Orser as a lead after so many supporting/smaller roles and boy did he nail this Ansel character, he absolutely stole the show (Winstead was also great as usual).

I'll always remember Leland Orser for his nervous role as a surviving victim of Se7en's John Doe. I've probably seen him in bit parts since without realizing it's him, but Faults reveals his talent as he steps up to the task of a leading role. He's perfect as the cheap crook and Riley Stearns matches the darkly comic nature of his character with an ideal introduction. Stearns idiosyncratic style borrows from the best of modern cinema - the Coen brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson - but it pays off for a surreal, slightly stilted, but hilarious tone. Its premise of cult manipulation is immediately compelling, and it frames its story in a way that's offered skimmed over when it's portrayed on film and never committed to a full 90 minutes. Faults is a very confident debut, but it's a shame that the film wilts in its second half. It trades humour for a psychological thriller, and while it digs deeper into the characters, it loses its way by breaking its world. If only it didn't stumble in this final stretch, the twists in the ending could have had more impact. Still worth the watch.

7/10

Great plot and unique. So tired of Marvel and DC and Star Wars retreads. Great acting. Strange vibes. Thought it was a comedy at first. Recommended. It's a nice break from all the tripe.