What if, instead of Liam Neeson's character in TAKEN being a heroic superspy who could kick bad-guy butts all over the place and solve any problem, he had been a portly, alcoholic loser who could barely hold down a job or drive past a bar without going in and spending the rest of the day in it?
That "what if" is pretty much answered in the indy thriller FORTRESS OF SIN (2022), in which director and co-writer Paul Chomicki (who co-starred with Dave Campfield in the "Caesar & Otto" comedies) stars as Harry, a luckless shlub who fits the above description to a tee.
When we meet Harry, he's sleeping off a drunk when his estranged daughter Robin (Jama Bourne) shows up looking for money, a place to stay, and maybe some getting-to-know-you time with Dad. This doesn't work out, and Robin is off again while Harry stews in his own juices, oblivious.
Long story short, Harry soon discovers that his daughter has disappeared in a desolate wilderness location hours away, where word has it that a bloodthirsty religious cult called "Ascend" is kidnapping young girls for money.
Summoning his last ounce of responsibility, he hops into his broken-down truck, drives to Robin's last known location, breaks down, and proceeds to fail just as spectacularly as Liam Neeson's similarly concerned Dad succeeded.
Chomicki plays the lead role with a light touch, making Harry a mildly likable and somewhat relatable loser without pouring on the histrionics. The supporting cast is very capable, including Rae Hartwell as ex-wife Krista, Katie Otten as Aiyanna, an escaped captive of the cult who helps Harry, cinematographer Christian Voss as dogged local cop Ritter, and "Caesar & Otto" regular Avi K. Garg as malevolent cult leader Lucien Reed.
Also making an appearance is co-writer and producer Dave Campfield, who starred with Chomicki in their series of hilarious "Caesar & Otto" comedies (including CAESAR & OTTO'S PARANORMAL HALLOWEEN, CAESAR & OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE, and CAESAR & OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS). Here, Campfield returns to the same dark thriller territory as his riveting debut with 2007's DARK CHAMBER.
The film is a slow-burn, easing us into a story that's carried along by Chomicki's lean direction and some colorful, picturesque cinematography (there's a nice use of drone cameras throughout which takes full advantage of the Nebraska landscape).
The advance DVD screener I received contains a bonus menu which includes a cast and crew commentary track, behind-the-scenes peeks with Paul Chomicki and Katie Otten, a gag reel, and a bonus short film by Chomicki, "The Third Eye."
Things build to a powerful finish with Harry ending up in the clutches of the murderous cult after discovering the fate of his missing daughter. Paul Chomicki brings a fresh, easygoing approach to this kind of material which I found very appealing, and rather than going for the usual tired "sting" at the fadeout, he ends FORTRESS OF SIN on an emotional note that helps raise it yet another notch above average.
No comments:
Post a Comment