28 long takes are cut together to seem like one long take in the tale of four friends who go to a high school graduation and find they have to take stock of their lives when they are trapped in a room together and some weird things begin to happen.
A mix of coming of age, teen angst and supernatural events the film never pulls it all together. While there is most certainly something here, the presentation is too focused in the trick of long takes. The result are performances that are much too mannered along with too much happening off camera. For example there is a late in the game sequence where everyone stares at something in the mirror, which we never see. Why? Because it's in the middle of the take and the camera can't pivot or else we will see nothing there.
What disappoints me is that there is enough here that if this had been shot a more conventional film, with some slightly more real dialog, this film could have been something.
Points for trying something new. Subtractions for being frustratingly close to it working.
No comments:
Post a Comment