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2.2 KiB
Plaintext
1 line
2.2 KiB
Plaintext
Paul Holahan's HINDSIGHT has a unique premise presenting us with the theme of being blinded by one's hidden agendas. When Dina and her boyfriend, Ron decide to sell their unexpected baby to desperate Maria and her husband, Paul, all four of them allow their wants to take over them and lead them to an unethical dark side in themselves. The film had a chance to be a thriller with substance, rather it showcased its theme repeatedly giving the thrilling moments less sting so tonally the film bordered on drama. Cutting back to Dina in the present, her narration and freeze frames made the situations at hand less frightening and less significant. Peter, the driver that picks Dina up in the beginning, states the theme through dialog even though the action in the past works as subtext to show us what the theme is. Further, Dina speaks so casually when she narrates and no one screams when they are victimized (except for when Maria and Paul argue over cutting Dina's belly open). It seems as if the musical cues that lead up to these big moments (like when Paul first attacks Ron) lead up to nothing because the tension is lost when important events happen. After Paul attacks Ron, there is a cut back to the present in which Peter tells Dina she thinks nothing is her fault. Then Dina repeats that statement by narrating that we probably think this is her fault. The attack on Ron should have been the turning point in which everyone turns against each other, but it is downplayed. Foreshadowing should cause tension in a thriller, but foreshadowing is lost when Dina says what is going to happen next. There is good parallel action placing Dina and Ronnie versus Maria and Paul and there is a good arch for each of the characters in which they change when their sight is narrowed in on their desires. The most exciting scene is when Paul taunts Maria to cut open Dina's belly. It put everyone against each other singularly and it revealed character, especially Maria's, using a kind of suspense where one must look away. It then gave reason for Maria's character to choose to do what she did at the end. It is well-written, but the form of the film takes away from the story. The film has depth and is intelligent unlike many thrillers, but the thrill is lost. |