Mostly immediately noteworthy about 'Running time,' apart from the casting of unmistakable Bruce Campbell in the lead, is the structural concept. I greatly admire features that aim to create the appearance of a single continuous shot, and a narrative that plays out in real time. Whatever a picture's quality otherwise, and however well it employs the approach, it's a stylistic choice that remains used with sufficient infrequency that the novelty is appreciated.
Only slightly less readily notable is the very 90s sensibility about the whole production. The music, the too often tawdry dialogue (mind the totally unnecessary casual use of homophobic language), and the construction of characters in terms of hair and wardrobe are all somewhat easily dated. At no point since has the fashion and culture of the decade been spoken of in fond remembrance, and while this flavor isn't an inherent mark against this flick, nor is it to its advantage.
There's a cleverly wry sense of humor about the movie as everything that can go wrong for protagonist Carl, does. Between the snappy runtime, all-around dubious characters, air of desperation, and the choice to film in black and white, it's clear film-maker Josh Becker intended for a noir-esque atmosphere. To his credit, he has somewhat succeeded. I think the cast inhabits their roles well, and the screenplay offers just enough room to let them demonstrate their capabilities.
The movie has no pretensions of greatness or of being something it's not, and that's probably for the best. In general the narrative writing is solid, such as it is, yet 'Running time' runs out of time so quickly that the ending comes off as abrupt and unexpected. It feels incomplete, yet it isn't. I can't decide if this is intelligent screenwriting, or perfectly average. Though, I did say Becker "somewhat" succeeded: to whatever extent he aimed to reproduce the ambience of classics from the 40s and 50s, the unrefined curtness of the conclusion rather settles the fate of that bent.
It's not bad. I want to like it more than I do; though imperfect, I think the constituent parts are broadly fine, and I appreciate the very independent nature of the feature. But the story is cut off so inelegantly to roll end credits that I can't help but feel like there's a lot missing, even if there's not - coloring the rest of the length in retrospect. 'Running time' is a curiosity. It's a minor crime thriller that tries, and is just enough, but still manages to feel indescribably lacking. If someone is a diehard fan of Campbell it's probably reasonably worth watching, and there are worse ways to spend one's time, to come across it. But definitely don't go out of your way, and keep your expectations mild.
Only slightly less readily notable is the very 90s sensibility about the whole production. The music, the too often tawdry dialogue (mind the totally unnecessary casual use of homophobic language), and the construction of characters in terms of hair and wardrobe are all somewhat easily dated. At no point since has the fashion and culture of the decade been spoken of in fond remembrance, and while this flavor isn't an inherent mark against this flick, nor is it to its advantage.
There's a cleverly wry sense of humor about the movie as everything that can go wrong for protagonist Carl, does. Between the snappy runtime, all-around dubious characters, air of desperation, and the choice to film in black and white, it's clear film-maker Josh Becker intended for a noir-esque atmosphere. To his credit, he has somewhat succeeded. I think the cast inhabits their roles well, and the screenplay offers just enough room to let them demonstrate their capabilities.
The movie has no pretensions of greatness or of being something it's not, and that's probably for the best. In general the narrative writing is solid, such as it is, yet 'Running time' runs out of time so quickly that the ending comes off as abrupt and unexpected. It feels incomplete, yet it isn't. I can't decide if this is intelligent screenwriting, or perfectly average. Though, I did say Becker "somewhat" succeeded: to whatever extent he aimed to reproduce the ambience of classics from the 40s and 50s, the unrefined curtness of the conclusion rather settles the fate of that bent.
It's not bad. I want to like it more than I do; though imperfect, I think the constituent parts are broadly fine, and I appreciate the very independent nature of the feature. But the story is cut off so inelegantly to roll end credits that I can't help but feel like there's a lot missing, even if there's not - coloring the rest of the length in retrospect. 'Running time' is a curiosity. It's a minor crime thriller that tries, and is just enough, but still manages to feel indescribably lacking. If someone is a diehard fan of Campbell it's probably reasonably worth watching, and there are worse ways to spend one's time, to come across it. But definitely don't go out of your way, and keep your expectations mild.