YellowBrickRoad (2010) d. Jesse Holland / Andy Mitton (USA)
The writing/directing team of Holland & Mitton conjure an incredibly rich scenario, then people it with an exemplary array of characters such that the first 45 minutes of this well-crafted yarn were literally spent on the edge of my seat. The wonderfully simple premise – a group of researchers seeking to unravel the mystery of a New Hampshire village’s population who, one quiet day in 1940, simply wandered out of town and disappeared forever – is so well cultivated, with creepy, organic atmosphere to spare, one feels like applauding each passing scene for its chutzpah and execution. (The high point is a mid-film gore set-piece aka “the leg scene” that had me squirming and muttering, “Holy crap, ain’t never seen that before... and I’m not sure I needed to.”)
However, after maintaining “modern classic” strides for its first half, YBR abruptly runs out of gas, sputtering in narrative circles, leaving us with nothing more than a bunch of folks lost in the woods going crazy. (If you’ve ever wanted to watch a non-shaky-cam Blair Witch Project with three times the cast and minus the stellar finale, look no further.)
The creative duo’s failure to deliver a satisfying resolution to what started out so strong is probably the greatest disappointment, akin to watching a world-class runner blow himself out early, stumbling, meandering, limping, and finally dropping exhausted on the side of the road.
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| "Um... we're still waiting on those final script pages. Please hold...." |
Worth seeing, but the unrealized potential is wildly frustrating.
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