Guilt

I guess I expected more from the concept. Super predictable, kind of a lame ending. Characters are okay but the dialog is not really all that well written or realistic. This movie really didn't surprise me in any way. Its your typical sort of vigilante revenge sort of movie, but brings nothing new or interesting to the table. There was maybe one part of the plot that was unexpected and changes how you see the main character. Unfortunately, the character doesn't really grow from this experience, and the movie just sort of ends.

In GUILT, we see a garden variety psychopathic serial killer cum vigilante, Jesse (Janet Shay), who has convinced herself that she alone is righteous, meting out the justice that, in her sole judgment, the courts failed to visit upon child abusers. Never mind some of her victims had been tried, convicted, adjudicated, and had served their sentences. Never mind the rush she gets from stalking her victims, from the trophies she keeps, and from the act of killing itself. Not for even a single solitary moment is Jesse introspective enough to realize that she's as bad or worse than the criminals she kills. Until she realizes that she is responsible for the deaths of innocents, at which time -- after a brief moment of self awareness -- she stretches for an excuse to, yes, kill again.

It's not certain whether the filmmakers want us to like or to dislike Jesse; she's quite the opposite of the loveable murderer, Dexter, who clearheadedly acknowledges what he's doing is abominable, but who displays a modicum of charisma and adheres to a consistent moral code, thereby somehow giving the viewer license to like him. Instead, she's a sour-faced shrew who rationalizes wanton murder until she can rationalize no more, then when faced with capture proves herself to be a full-on coward lacking both courage and any real moral conviction. Accountability for thee, but not for me.

Aside from the absence of characters one can like or even respect, GUILT suffers from a twist- and reversal-free, straight-line plot and weak acting on the part of the lead actress. I think there also was supposed to be some suspense in this movie somewhere, but it failed to materialize. It gets three stars only on the strength of some surprisingly strong performances by Hayley Flowers as Grace and especially Mitchell Matthews as the minor character, Kit.

Otherwise, the whole affair comes off as a second-rate, poorly written movie of the week, and even the collective disgust society rightly has for child rapists is neither enough to gin up any sympathy on the part of the viewer ... for anyone ... nor enough to create and sustain a bloodlust for revenge on child molesters.

If I'd had enough time to start another movie before it was time to turn out the lights, I would have.

The filmmakers have charged into tricky territory with their film GUILT and although not without its flaws, it does an admirable job of investigating the ethical quagmire of vigilantism. The directors have done an extraordinary job in giving their film a big screen feel with a polish in picture and sound that belies its small budget and its execution can be a lesson to many indies in how to add value and integrity to one's vision in bringing important subjects to the screen.

The film could have been enhanced with better casting, tightening of the edit and a proper sound design and mix. So much foley was completely missing or off the mark. Not enough bold atoms and sfx work. Score mixed flat without volume dynamics. Some of the shot framing was random and artlessly executed, with mostly uninteresting camera positions and shot combinations. As a result of the aforementioned, there's little tension and atmosphere within the film.

Some of the actors were not believable. The first victim, and the receptionist, the casting for these two - terrible. The lead protagonist could act well but was the wrong choice for the role. The Grace actor was doing a good job but it's up to the director to calibrate her and the other actors to perform more or less extreme in places.

It's hard to pinpoint what is wrong. While watching, it felt like a bit of everything could be improved. Casting and sound (sfx, score, mix) were the biggest sore thumbs for me. Always willing to give Aussie flicks a go, but I can't pull punches just because it's Aussie.

This is the type of chick flick I can get behind! The acting was great, cinematography excellent, and the plot awesome!

Anyone rating this under 6 stars is guilty of the crimes committed in this movie .

Thanks!