WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
French film writer/director Yann Danh brings his 2012-shot and 2013 Film Festival award-winning short film to fast-paced life in telling the story of 3 men, Daniel (Franck Sarrabas), Alex (Simon Frenay), and Josh (Pascal Henault), all of whom have just been on the receiving end of their now-former company’s relocation plan–aka: they’re let go. More than upset that their former boss, Jacques Mercier (Bruno Henry), get a golden parachute deal, the three hatch a plan to kidnap him and hold him for ransom. Initially believing this endeavor will be a relatively easy and straight-forward affair, and despite Mercier’s sudden bouts with seizures, the plan seems to be going well. In the midst of this, they are unaware that the entire unfolding of said plan is being both observed and listened in on by a mysterious woman (Fatima Adoum). Additionally, when a Senator, Thierry Cortal (Marc Duret), throws a kink into the scheme, the clear path to financial peace becomes more complicated. The trio decide to demonstrate how committed they are to this process, and choose to figure out methods of terrorizing Mercier and to video it to share with the world. But the stress and strain of the actions they’ve already taken and the ones yet to be done begin to take a toll, as nerves fray and doubts creep in amongst them, leading to an inevitable breaking point. When everything boils over, real truths behind the whole affair come to light as events are most certainly not always what they appear.
As the opportunity to view several short films has come about recently, this reviewer is honestly amazed at how much relevant, intense, and entertaining content can be achieved in a fifteen minute timeframe. “At All Costs” is a fast-paced, well acted, very fluidly filmed, and surprisingly substantial piece of indie filmmaking, engaging the viewer with a story that, while thematically not necessarily something new, still carries enough weight and material via the characters plight to grab your attention and make you want to see what exactly the outcome is going to be. This works even better in that Sarrabas, Frenay, and Henault infuse the action with a true sense of realism in presenting Daniel, Alex, and Josh as normal guys, thrust into extraordinary circumstances by their own devices, which ultimately reflects how not used to being criminals they are. But, this is also all an aspect of the grander scheme at play in the film, and the twists were very enjoyable. The cinematography, in this reviewer’s opinion, outshined the movie’s eight thousand dollar budget, as the production value is, at minimum, as clear and flowing as any well-made TV show. That fact is made more evident in that the U.S. rights to this film were sold to “CSI” creator and executive producer Anthony E. Zuiker. In total, “At All Costs” proves to be one fifteen minute timeslot that is worth investing in thanks to a tightly condensed, energetic, and cohesive package. What more can a briskly moving world ask for?
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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