Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid
It’s not really a good thing when one has to rely on a written synopsis to know what a story is about during the first 10-15 minutes. I mean, hints are given in the narration by the main character, but the first part of the film is devoted to the main character and his buddies have crude sex talk and a scene with one of the friend’s dads that reeks of broad comedy (and unfunny comedy at that).
The film starts off with a beating, as the three friends- Bret (Dirk Julian), Jim (Chad Post), and Willard (Michael Resendez)- take revenge on a guy they think raped their friend. That’s the first of many events that begin to unravel Bret’s good life as he prepares to head off to New York and film school.
Writer-director Christopher Golon is going for a realistic feel and tone, but the performances don’t really help his case. Just because the film looks natural and low-budget, you still need performances that can be believed. I didn’t really believe any of them in here. From the cop investigating the beating to the 16 year-old (Erin Prieto) who practically throws herself at Bret to Bret himself, it’s hard to take the film seriously even if it is inspired by real-life. Actually, I did believe the character of Veronica (Torey Marks)- Bret’s girlfriend, especially when she finds out about Bret’s little trist with the 16 year-old Trish, but otherwise, there are a lot of times when the seeming inexperience of the actors- as well as the director in directing his actors- comes through a little too much. As a first-time writer-director myself on my current short film, I know how difficult naturalism is at times. Sometimes it’s been easier than others; just because Golon (on his third film effort) hasn’t quite gotten it right in this film, I wouldn’t count him out in getting it right down the road.
In the hands of another director, and other actors, I can see this being an absorbing rites of passage film, and compelling drama. Near the end, a riot breaks out when an arrest gets violent. But one can’t help but think that the real reason is because the story didn’t have a lot of weight to it on its’ own. It certainly doesn’t add anything else to this film, which just doesn’t cut it, however truthful it may want to be to life.
