The notion of a villainous character getting their comeuppance is a tried and true staple of film archetypes, and when done well this type of tale is hard not to enjoy. The thrill of seeing an amoral character getting what he or she deserves can be be awfully cathartic, especially when story, character and performance are linked together with exceptional technical expertise. Such is the case with Fate Accompli, the latest short film from director Eric Neal.
To delve any further into the details of the story would cheat the viewer of the experience of watching it unfold, although if you've seen any Twilight Zone episodes or read any Stephen King short stories you can kind of guess where this film is going, but because of the high skill level of the acting and directing the film builds subtly to its ultimately satisfying climax.
Eric Neal directs with precision and keeps the film moving;the pace is neither leisurely nor too ramped up, giving it an an understated elegance, which is needed for this type of story to work, especially considering what one of the characters is revealed to be. The acting is stellar; Walt Sloan invests his character with a toughness that masks a weary interior, and Erin Breen is remarkably understated, never betraying her character's true nature until the films final moments. The cinematography by John Klein is excellent, and a special mention must be given to Andrew Edwards incredibly sly score, in which he seems to be winking as he gleefully(and expertly) channels Bernard Herrmann.
In this era of A.D.D., hyper fast cuts and what the mouth breathers would refer to as 'plosions, it's refreshing to see a film, short or otherwise, take a classical and classy approach to its subject matter. My only criticism would be that this should have been even longer, so that we could have a little more time with these characters. Farewell Gabriel, you kind of had it coming.
To delve any further into the details of the story would cheat the viewer of the experience of watching it unfold, although if you've seen any Twilight Zone episodes or read any Stephen King short stories you can kind of guess where this film is going, but because of the high skill level of the acting and directing the film builds subtly to its ultimately satisfying climax.
Eric Neal directs with precision and keeps the film moving;the pace is neither leisurely nor too ramped up, giving it an an understated elegance, which is needed for this type of story to work, especially considering what one of the characters is revealed to be. The acting is stellar; Walt Sloan invests his character with a toughness that masks a weary interior, and Erin Breen is remarkably understated, never betraying her character's true nature until the films final moments. The cinematography by John Klein is excellent, and a special mention must be given to Andrew Edwards incredibly sly score, in which he seems to be winking as he gleefully(and expertly) channels Bernard Herrmann.
In this era of A.D.D., hyper fast cuts and what the mouth breathers would refer to as 'plosions, it's refreshing to see a film, short or otherwise, take a classical and classy approach to its subject matter. My only criticism would be that this should have been even longer, so that we could have a little more time with these characters. Farewell Gabriel, you kind of had it coming.
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