"Collusion" is a very clever film consisting of many layers, and it takes you on an engrossing journey as each one is presented. The movie opens on a painting, which a voiceover tells us was once part of a much larger painting, and similarly, the artwork is only a small piece of the movie's much larger web of deceit. On the surface, Jack Littlemore (Aden Gillett) runs a museum security business, Sally Waterville (Kate Ashfield) is his vivacious companion, Darren Headway (Daniel Lapaine) a young entrepreneur, and Serena Ames (Jessica Brooks) a frustrated daughter of a very wealthy and overprotective father who disapproves of all her relationships (including her latest one with Darren). Well, let's just say that things are not always what they appear to be.
The cast is outstanding, and really gives the movie an edge. The actors and actresses strike a great balance of allowing you to get to know them, but at the same time keeping certain things hidden and elusive. It's a fine line, but they walk it quite effectively. And director Richard Burridge gives the film a very sly, smooth feel, as he coolly weaves a complex story. When the film starts it is hard to tell where it's heading, but as the story moves along and the characters continue to interact, the frame of the puzzle comes into place. Then comes the challenge of putting the pieces in the right positions. "Collusion" certainly keeps its most important cards held until the end.
I saw "Collusion" at its US premiere at the Boston Film Festival, and knew nothing about it save what I had read in the one-paragraph synopsis in the program (and that the director would be present at the screening). I had seen no previews, and knew none of the actors- a different perspective than for most movies one usually sees at a multiplex. It was refreshing to go into a film without any preconceived notions of events or characters, and I believe this enhanced my enjoyment of the movie (and it's good idea to watch this movie with a clear mind anyway). But perhaps the most telling sign of this movie's impact is that after it was over, and as I listened to Burridge field questions from the audience, I was also thinking about the movie in my head, and trying to untangle its many twists and puzzles. And as I took the subway home, I kept thinking about it, and I realized that putting the pieces together was just as rewarding as viewing the finished product.
The cast is outstanding, and really gives the movie an edge. The actors and actresses strike a great balance of allowing you to get to know them, but at the same time keeping certain things hidden and elusive. It's a fine line, but they walk it quite effectively. And director Richard Burridge gives the film a very sly, smooth feel, as he coolly weaves a complex story. When the film starts it is hard to tell where it's heading, but as the story moves along and the characters continue to interact, the frame of the puzzle comes into place. Then comes the challenge of putting the pieces in the right positions. "Collusion" certainly keeps its most important cards held until the end.
I saw "Collusion" at its US premiere at the Boston Film Festival, and knew nothing about it save what I had read in the one-paragraph synopsis in the program (and that the director would be present at the screening). I had seen no previews, and knew none of the actors- a different perspective than for most movies one usually sees at a multiplex. It was refreshing to go into a film without any preconceived notions of events or characters, and I believe this enhanced my enjoyment of the movie (and it's good idea to watch this movie with a clear mind anyway). But perhaps the most telling sign of this movie's impact is that after it was over, and as I listened to Burridge field questions from the audience, I was also thinking about the movie in my head, and trying to untangle its many twists and puzzles. And as I took the subway home, I kept thinking about it, and I realized that putting the pieces together was just as rewarding as viewing the finished product.