WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
What are the shades of misconception, misjudgment, miscalculation, and the associated confusion it can all bring about when something that has never been experienced before suddenly manifests? How, as human beings, do we react to blatant change that signals a paradigm shift in our daily lives, to our communities, our country, our world, and the future? Why is it that, more often than not, the reaction is severely negative, threatening to undermine all that could be improved and for the betterment of all? It is a post-apocalyptic, literally black and white Earth, and there now resides only two types of people–those seen as normal, and the new outcasts, freaks of nature, known only as “hues”.
For Isaac (Josh Bangle), there is only the lonely paths across barren wastes, completely covered head to toe in clothing worn by constant travel and harsh conditions, all in order to hide that which is no longer viewed as acceptable, much less truly human. Coming upon a waystation in his journey, a local diner, his attempt to simply gain needed sustenance is waylaid by a belligerent patron (Nicolas Meyer), who “outs” Isaac and his “condition”. Taken prisoner, Isaac’s mind flashes back to a past time when he first lived a regular, though regulated, life with companionship from his brother Jerry (Ryan Barnes) and girlfriend Victoria (Cat Merritt). Unbeknownst to them, a ruthless businessman (Devin Leigh) has nefarious plans for humanity, even as a random incident changes Isaac’s life, and society, forever.
Next, my Mind:
For this critic, there’s definitely a certain intentionality behind this 60-minute indie feature film effort from writer/director/producer/cinematographer/editor Kodi Zene, along with producers Lozen Fukem and Lola Zene, that allows us as the viewer to have the baseline satisfaction of a self-contained narrative with an interesting twist on the oft presented “post-apocalyptic Earth” notion and what perils it engenders. Yet, I personally found myself a little bit frustrated as well, given the film ultimately feels a tad unfinished, more like witnessing an extended proof of concept or even a T.V. pilot episode rather than an all-out feature effort where there’s that sense of total completion with room for continued chronicling if chosen.
Maybe this was the goal, however, as by the time the film’s finale rolls around, there’s more than enough room for additional expansion and the lead character’s experiences to be fleshed out more. Taking, in principal, a direction that reminded me of “The Giver”, the tale’s exploration of starkness vs. newly-discovered vibrancy is taken from an amended point of view, not of what’s been previously hidden, but more what has been unexpectedly, freshly revealed and how it throws the current norms into chaos. Additionally, one could easily argue there are statements being made and/or depicted about how resistant to change we are, how much we lash out at things we don’t understand, and the levels we let fear and paranoia rule the day, all while seeing the birth of prejudice and subjugation in a new form (or really not) when it comes to, funny enough, color.
Underlying themes like this isn’t to say that in itself that is precisely what the filmmakers were going for, but I always find it fascinating to see how specific elements in films can carry messages with them that so deftly earmark real-life society and the state of affairs we’re in. The fact here that the reveal presented is indicated as just being the start, it also becomes a quest for identity along with the literal struggle for ascertaining exactly what has prompted the “Chromism” outbreak that’s taking hold, which has splintered the world, fractured families, and thrown a monkey wrench into the villain’s plans. A mite cliché, yes. But hey, we can let it slide for the sake of the grander story’s purpose. Visually, the film is very fluidly shot and the utilization of black and white imagery bleeding into distinct moments of color was actually quite well-executed and certainly helped drive the film’s points home.
In the greater scope of the film, as we move into the acting, there were sequences where I couldn’t help but feel the actors were trying a little TOO hard for certain emotional peaks, it sometimes feeling a bit forced or awkward. But, when it comes to indie film, I have a much larger respect for efforts put forth when you know it’s all birthed from a place of real dedication, passion, heart, and desire to do the best job they can. Bangle does a solid job in his role as Isaac, a man once existing in what he always knew as a “normal” world–going to work, enjoying family, and having big plans for himself and his girlfriend. But then, on one day that is supposed to be a true high point, a tragic event begins to unfold that Isaac gets swept up in, not only altering the course of his life, but every relationship he’s ever known. When realizing, though not understanding, what the world is becoming, he’s forced to flee one reality to embrace a new one, and it’s one that has him dead set to impact and influence for the sake of a actuality gone mad. Bangle has a manner and demeanor about him that suits this character well, and if anything, I’d like to see him get a chance to develop the character of Isaac more so we have a better chance to become more invested in him and his plight.
Merritt stands firm in her role as Victoria, Isaac’s girlfriend, and someone who’s been very much waiting for the moment to arrive that is about to unfold before it all goes south when her beau’s life takes a drastic turn. Loyal and steadfast in her willingness to be there for him, she makes every effort to aid him when his time of need arises, even though by doing so, she’s putting her own life in potential jeopardy. As hinted above, while suited to the story, I just felt like Merritt’s performance was striving for that believable level of conviction and emotional connection with Cat’s character, but didn’t quite achieve it. We’re not talking lack of talent, just perhaps an improvement on delivery. Barnes channels his inner Michael Chiklis as Jerry, Isaac’s brother who loves his sibling and supports him unconditionally. However, when things go awry, it becomes a sobering lesson in warped ideology and propaganda insidiously penetrating the thought processes of someone who’s now questioning everything around him, even when it’s family, and it’s a hard study in the effects it has upon Jerry and his mentality towards Isaac. Barnes definitively turns on the intensity for the part, and it also suits the need given the circumstances his character encounters.
Leigh presents his unscrupulous character, known officially as “The Suited Man”, with decent enough, understatedly over-the-top, bravado that still ends up coming across a little too “the usual” as far as villains go. There’s the depth of evil he’s embodying in hatching the plan he has in mind that gets upended by the events involving Isaac, but how Leigh portrays it fell just a hair short for me overall. I feel like villains really need to stand out, and I guess the character just wasn’t doing it for me like I wanted. Again, not lack of talent, just more need for further development and execution. Supporting turns arrive from Meyer as a diner patron who chooses to cause issues for Isaac in the real world prior to the flashbacks to what lead to the state of things, Andre Pelzer as a cop, Shashana Pearson as a news anchor, Sean Conley as a key CDC scientist, David Dittmeier as a hospital physician, and Erwin Chung as a checkpoint guard, Kelly Hart-Hinson and Perry Hinson as Isaac and Jerry’s parents, Hasan Eddins as Azrael, on of The Suited Man’s primary henchman, and Ron Cho as a Henchman, among many others.
In total, “Monochrome: The Chromism” is a starting point for what I feel is a story with even greater potential to be provided to us, and I find myself hoping that this cast, crew, director, and producers have the opportunity to supply that at a future time. While the film may not have quite fired on all cylinders for this critic, it’s all about the truth that it only needs a little polish in it’s black and white veneer, some tweaking on the tints of its narrative, and a little pigmentation adjustment to the delivery of its characters to make what I feel will be a very entertaining and more engaging science fiction adventure that can do indie film proud just like the initial efforts here are illustrating.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
