As a fan of Indie films, I've learned to ignore the failings in lighting, sound, film stock and other technical issues. What makes or breaks such a movie is writing, casting and directing. I have no complaints whatsoever about the cast, but the writing and directing are the downfall of this flick. As the film opens you anticipate being drawn into the story by a very good corps of young actors, each of whom should have a decent future in films. However, early on you find yourself struggling to stay focused (and, if you've seen the film, you realize that's a problem for the cast as well). Tanya Allen is very unconvincing as the "concerned" sister of the really big-time dealer Ben. Her emotional range is somewhere between Ali MacGraw and Richard Gere. Worse still, she makes her character unsympathetic and then slides her downhill to just plain despicable. By the end of the film, you really WISH she was locked away in some God-forsaken tiny college in Calgary, keeping the rest of the world safe from such a self-righteous, lemon-sucking harridan. The viewer musters some concern for the other main characters, but only in comparison to the loathsome Angie. One never succeeds in feeling any real emotion for the lot of them. I never felt this was the fault of the actors (well ... with the possible exception of Allen, whom I'll probably avoid in future cinematic selections). It's that pesky ol' script that smells like carp. Banal and wooden dialog, brimful of cliches. Cole asks, "What about loyalty?" Well, hey, what about loyalty to the audience? Every time it appears one of the characters will disappear from the film after some contrived argument, you think to yourself, "Finally, at least one will bite the dust! Only three or four more to go!" Alas, they keep coming back for more, dragging us with them 'til the bitter end. And, without revealing too much detail, the end IS bitter. To me the highest moment (should have expected it, considering the film's "heritage") was Jason Mewes having his turn at playing Silent Bob. You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll slash your wrists! Spare yourself - it's too late for me! Give this one a pass.
Review of Tail Lights Fade
