Detonator (2013) Brooklyn FIlm Festival 2013

I'm in a weird spot concerning DENTONATOR. in that I really like the film, butI find it kind of hard to discuss it. Its not that there isn't anything really wrong with the film, there isn't except some could argue that some of this is a bit too talky, but for me  that wasn't a problem. The problem is that the film kind of  puts me somewhere past words, or rather somewhere past simple words. I could easily write along  review discussing the film in great detail, or rather portions of the film which really echoed with me a great deal. The real problem is that I want to write about a couple of small little bits that connected with me, but which really don't reflect on the larger film. The film itself is bigger than the moments, and my latching on to this small bits gets in the way of discussing the larger film- which is very good and is a film you should see. 

I've been trying to come up with words that really do the film justice and I haven't been able to do that. I can discuss bits of the film in a general way but I find that in writing about the film something about it deflates it for me. Its as if my words can't match what makes the film really shine.  I'm also finding that that trying to talk about the film I wantto reveal too much. For example Lawrence Michael Levine as Sully gives this really great performance. Its performance of exasperation and confusion and terror and frustration and there is so much going on not just in his words and in his eyes that trying to explain it all to you is unfair. I don't feel I should give you a road map to everything that is going on for Sully since I could be wrong, what I'm taking away from what I'm seeing could be wrong or be intepreted differently by you. Worse I would end up revealing turns in the story you shouldn't no about.

I think one of the reasons I liked the film so much was I had no guide book, I had no clues, I only had a vague description of the plot to go on. I think that you should have the same experience. I don't think I should reveal all since there is something special in this film.

To that end I'm going to give you a statement about the story, and then a couple of lines about what I feel about the film.  I apologize if this doesn't really constitute a real review,  but I my initial idea of just writing "Just get your ass to Brooklyn and see the film" isn't much of review either- even if it's what you should do.

Damon Maulucci and Keir Politz's film DETONATOR  concerns Sully. Once the frontman for a punk band Sully has given it all up and walked away because of his wife and son  As the film opens Sully has gone so far as to have his tattoos removed and is looking to sell his amp, the name of his old band- Detonator- splashed across the side. In the middle of the day's business Sully gets a call from a friend from the old days Mick. Mick wants to talk  to Sully about something. Meeting Mick Sully is instantly knows the meeting was a bad idea, but it isn't long before Mick is dragging Sully along on some hair brained scheme to get the money Mick owes to him...unfortunately for Sully it's going to be a very long unpleasant night...

DETONATOR works best, which is most of the time, when it's doing the unexpected. Based on what I had read on the film before seeing it I had expected a film that the film would be a typical noirish hell night sort of film. Instead I found it to be an very good look at growing up, moving on and dealing with our pasts. Why do we return to the well of our youth when we're better off just moving on... Itrs one of those films that sets off alarm bells within yourself as it charts a course to cover subjects you'd think are better left in the closet.

Lawrence Michael Levine stars as Sully. This is one of those great performances of looks and motions and small ticks. Its a lived in performance that goes beyond the simple performance and into territory that the great actors, say Michael Caine are capable of giving. Yea we have what is going on on screen, but we also have what is going on behind the eyes of Sully (something Caine is a master of).

I really liked this film a great deal. I liked that it has more going on than just a noirish tale of trying to get money back. I liked that this is one of those neat little films that pop up at film festivals and turn out to be something special, that you want to talk about.

If you can get to Brooklyn do go see it when it plays Friday night.