Shimmer Lake

I read the plot summary, "OK, structured like Memento, let's see if it's original." Started out fair with nothing very compelling. Seemed like a standard small town crime story with nothing new beyond the backwards- in-time format. But definitely picks up along the way. Got more interested as I watched and it ultimately paid off very well! The structure truly served the plot and was not just applied to make it seem creative. It was inventive, tautly paced, well cut and an appropriate length. Give it a shot. You might even want to watch it again. I plan to.

No spoilers here.

Like Memento, it's written to be watched twice. The writing is tight and smart, nothing is wasted, though that might not register until the second time through.

Both bleak and comic, it is a genuine mystery, in that clues and red herrings are carefully planted throughout, with a big reveal at the end that is genuinely surprising. The storytelling architecture is very satisfying.

You are not emotionally invested in any of the characters. This is by design, the structure pretty much guarantees it, and it's a good thing.

Though it works backwards, it goes day-by-day, not sequence by sequence, so while you are kept engaged in figuring out what's going on and who's who, it's easy enough keep track, you're never at sea. There's plenty to enjoy the first time through, but much of the early content, and many of the "jokes" -- it's very dark, but they are a kind of jokes-- only hit on second viewing.

It's a new kind of thing, straight to streaming, the cinematic equivalent of a straight-to-paperback noir. Made cheaply enough that neither the cinematography nor the acting seek to wow you (though they do get the job done) so it's not like a movie. But it's not like TV either, it's not looking for ratings, it doesn't have to go big-hit-or-die, it doesn't need a sponsor, it can be its own thing, the story they wanted to tell, everything's in there they wanted, nothing is in there they didn't want.

I liked it a lot. I probably wouldn't have watched it again, but there were special circumstances, and I'm really glad I did.

It's smart, funny, dark and succinct. Makes you use your brain a bit as you rethink the previous scenes with each newfound bit of information. I was pleasantly entertained and actually laughed out loud several times. A hidden gem of a movie that deserves much better than the 6.2 rating it currently has. I'm starting to lose faith in the IMDb rating system.

This 2017 Netflix production is the directorial debut of screenwriter Oren Uziel, and the actual scribbler has managed to tell a good story more than solidly, while still integrating atypical atmosphere into a streaming film and picking actors who manage the balancing act between quiet excitement and loud suburban calm very well.

The story is unfairly compared to Christopher Nolan's "Memento" (2000), though those who make this very incorrect comparison only manage to cite a single argument, namely the story being told backwards. Except that's simply not a unique selling point of Nolan's debut feature.

Uziel tells his story - he is, in fact, also the film's screenwriter - in chapters, starting with the last one and then moving backwards over the days to the beginning of the story arc. The narrative style suits the film, is clever and also has a purpose that is fulfilled, namely the twists and turns that are surprising in places. The film makes it easy to compare the scenes after watching, to put the plot together and then to enjoy everything again mentally. Due to the fun of it all, some of the plot's weaknesses don't matter so much, small inconsistencies of the bank robbery are rather easily wiped away and one also forgives a discreetly exaggerated overdrawing of the characters in the film.

The actors, on the other hand, do a very good job. First and foremost Benjamin Walker, who with his almost stoic manner makes the main character an interesting one, but one that is difficult to get through, and this again comes close to the basic idea of the film, or rather this kind of play is rather essential to what happens on the screen, or on the streaming screen. Russel, Williams, Higgins and co. Play solidly and in their familiar rut, so easily watchable. To their credit, they were cast wisely for their roles. Still standing out is Adam Pally, who mixes his very funny, but not silly, character with just the right amount of charm, wit and seriousness that the script and the essence of the film give. Pally is also a contributing character to the film's comic element, which Uziel sprinkles into his film in a well-sorted way that is always present but never too much. The running gag about sitting in the back seat of the police car is about a perfectly written for this backwards film and manages to tickle out a laugh while watching it.

All in all, Shimmering Lake is a surprisingly good film that manages to pull off a mix of genres that rarely goes well. The film isn't quite the big hit yet, but it's good entertainment that everyone involved was happy to work on and put effort into.

"Shimmer Lake" is a very enjoyable dark comedy from Netflix.

The story of a bank robbery is told backwards. When I started watching it, I thought it looked cheap. I don't think it cost a fortune. It concerns the local sheriff and his attempts to bring three bank robbers to justice - one of whom is his brother. The story goes in reverse day by day as we meet the different participants.

I thought the dialogue was funny, the actors were fine, and while it will remind some people of Fargo, it's no Fargo though it is good. And I loved the way it was wrapped up at the end.

Clever, funny, Netflix has redeemed itself after that awful thing Handsome.