Jason says:
“FAULTS feels like it should be something along the lines of THE LAST
EXORCISM, not so much in plot (although there are some similarities
there) as it’s a chance for an often-overlooked character actor to
shine playing the lead. When it’s that, it shines; if the story were
just a bit better, the movie would be something really special, though
as it is, it’s pretty good.
“The character actor is Leland Orser, playing Dr. Ansel Roth. Once a
big name on the subjects of cults who even had his own talk show, he’s
now washed up, stealing towels from hotels that book him to read from
his book to small, disinterested audiences. The latest was a special
disaster, but two in the audience (Chris Ellis & Beth Grant)
approach him, saying that their daughter has joined a strange group and
they don’t know what to do. He suggests the risky ‘deprogramming’
option, which is unpleasant and will cost them – Roth has bills that
desperately need paying. They agree, and Roth has Claire (Mary
Elizabeth Winstead) kidnapped and brought to a motel. Claire looks to
be a tough nut to crack, though, and there’s something a bit off about
the family dynamic he’d be returning her to. And then…
“Well, I’ll say little more, except that writer/director Riley Stearns
has concocted a script with the ability to surprise, even as it
regularly entices the audience to pay close attention to what’s going
on. It’s not quite as tight as it could possibly be; there’s a thread
that seems fairly extraneous, although saying which one it is wouldn’t
be right. A larger issue, I think, is that the whole movie, from the
start to the end, would benefit greatly if there were more evidence
that Roth was actually an authority worthy of respect. It’s not a hole
in the plot as it is, but it would just make everything work better.
“Even without that, though, Leland Orser the rare leading role and runs
with it, playing a set of very funny scenes at the start which
establish just how far he’s fallen, almost setting the film up as a
comedy, and keeping that sense of haplessness even as the movie starts
to accumulate actual stakes, playing it off a sense that he does have
some expertise in the area, frustration that things have gotten out of
control, and what’s left when he seems to have lost what control he
had. He gets to do a little of everything, and do it fairly well, and
it’s nice to see one of those actors who looks vaguely familiar show
what he’s capable of.
“Mary Elizabeth Winstead hardly fits into the ‘overlooked character
actor’ category, but she’s still someone whose actual work has seldom
lived up to her promise. She’s darn good here, though, giving a ton of
conviction to lines that might seem absurd otherwise, playing every
scene she has with Orser just right, and generally giving a performance
that suggests that it might be worth a second look later. There’s a
fine group of supporting actors behind them, too – Jon Gries and Lance
Reddick add menace while also serving as a sort of comic relief, while
Chris Ellis makes an argument that he deserves the sort of chance at
top billing that Orser got sometime soon.
“Stearns makes a good feature debut as director – he strings together
more gripping scenes than you might expect, quietly implies a period
setting that puts smartphones off the table without making a big deal
about it, and makes the puzzle pieces of his script fit together fairly
well. The ending suffers from a bit of a missing ingredient, but for a
first-timer this is pretty impressive; I’ll be interested in seeing
what he comes up with next. 4 cats
“Seen 24 July 2014 in Salle J.A. de Sève (Fantasia Festival,
DCP)” |
