Angels Crest (2000)
It is important to note, when attending
the Austin Film Festival, that it is a scriptwriter's
festival. There are scripts in competition (for which
films have not yet been lensed) and scripts awarded
prizes. Many of the panelists are also scriptwriters.
I mention this because, so far, I have seen 3 really
interesting films in the 2002 Austin Film Festival
that play with narrative structure, "Emmett's
Mark," "Fabled,"
and now "Angels Crest." What is particularly interesting
about the latter two is that the narrative structure
may very well have been "played with" and attained
as easily in the editing process as they were in the
scriptwriting process. This would surely be an interesting
question to pose some of the authors and filmmakers
of these two films if they are in town to do a Q&A
during the fest.
"Angels Crest" concerns two friends
who, on the way to work one morning, take a side trip,
a little jaunt into the forest. But the conversation
and action that ensues isn't a sort of "Waiting for
Godot," two-man piece about the nature of existence.
Well, it isn't exactly that. There's much more afoot
in the film. And to talk too much about plot would
surely negate the impact of what takes place.
So, instead, lets talk about structure.
Filmmaker J. Michael Couto, working from a script
he composed with Grant Holly, creates a intense and
surprising plot that cross-cuts back and forth in
time to allow a skewed yet perfect exposition to take
place. The film often seems to jump back and forth
in time, in fact it does somewhat, to show us what
is taking place and then show us something that seems
to be taking place in the past, as we have already
seen where this thread leads, or in the future, causing
us to question how it will come to be.
Oddly, this does not deflate the
tension or the heightened expectation of following
the film. Rather than question what "will" happen
occassionally, since we think we are seeing it, we
question "how" it will come to be. It shifts our focus,
as audience, from narrative, chronological structure
onto the more complex issues of why and how things
come to be. This effect is subtle on the viewer. This
is not some sort of arty, hip film that plays with
editing and camera angle and fast-forward, etc...
to be hip for hip sake, or even to create some sort
of confusion on the part of the viewer. Although mystery
is important here, as we are trying to figure out
why what is happening is happening as it does, this
isn't exactly an enigmatic puzzle either. Rather,
this is an interesting film in that its structure,
and the seeming structure of its script, is a cinematic
deconstruction of exposition. Plot points are laid
out for us at exactly a precise moment so that we
may piece the story together exactly as the filmmaker
and writers want us to. Watching the film, as the
plot is presented in this matter, the story becomes
riveting, fascinating.
It doesn't start nearly so convincingly
however. The opening of the film, the set-up, takes
its own sweet time and seems to be going almost nowhere
for a few minutes. But there are huge rewards for
the patient who allow the film, like a locomotive,
to chug slowly and build up steam to its inevitable
climax.
Likewise, watching the actors in
the piece doesn't help us much early on either. The
leads, Christopher Bauer (of TV's "Third Watch") and
Currie Graham (another reliable character actor who
looks sort of like the poor man's Kevin Spacey), aren't
the most attractive guys on the planet. Early on,
in fact, Bauer seems far too much like the stereotypical
schlub to be too interesting. But as the plot progresses
and we get into the film, this superficial annoyance
fades away. Bauer and Graham are very capable and
very engrossing actors. There's a reason that their
resumes are so lengthy. They easily draw us into the
film by nothing less than the power of their acting
skill.
If there is any valid complaint,
it might be in the look of the film. Couto has a great
script, great actors and a marvellous editor's eye
working for him but his visual sense of style seems
limited. The film is set in the woods for nearly its
entire run time of 80 minutes, but this landscape
is never as dark and harrowing as it should seem.
Perhaps a less colorful palette and even some black
and white or muted colors could have jazzed things
down a bit here. As it is, the film's often naturalistic
feel sometimes seems to somehow work against it.
But Couto redeems himself when it
comes to some important special moments in the film.
The gas station sequence, which has to be perfect
to make the plot work, is indeed flawless. Likewise,
a couple of scenes using animals are handled quite
well technically. Also, there is a scene in the woods
in the final reel that becomes harrowing not in tone
but in technique. Couto, it would seem, must use some
special effects or CGI techniques to achieve the sort
of "maze" that the forest takes on here. Again, it
works well and looks flawless and Couto proves himself
quite adept technically in this sequence. Anytime
the film has to achieve an "effect" to work, it does
so. It is obvious that when it comes to direction,
Couto knows very well what he is doing. It is in style,
perhaps, that he is lacking just a touch. It's a minor
defect perhaps but it does keep the film just below
the level of greatness.
"Angels Crest" might not win any
awards and it may never even see the light of day
in distribution. This is a shame. It is more than
just the technical exercise I have focused on here.
Sure, it is a film that deserves to be noted, viewed,
and perhaps even studied for its editing and narrative
deconstruction. But more importantly, it's a well
acted, well written and engrossing film that even
the casual viewer can appreciate given the opportunity
to see it.
Note:
Filmed in California.
