Selfless (2008)
Director: Jacob Pander
With: Josh Rengert, Mo Gallini, Jennifer Hong, October Moore
The Panders are Portland-based artists and film-makers, and they create graphic novels, music videos and films. The Operation was an experimental short porn film, that was remarkable for its imagery.
Selfless is their first try at a full-length plotted film, an identity-theft thriller, complete with murder and a drug-smuggling subplot. The movie looks beautiful, and Portland is lovingly rendered in gorgeous images. The acting is never less than competent, and never more.
But, the problem is the story and the plotting. I know how hard it is to create a coherent and workable plot. Selfless does not. Having said that, the Panders have, with few resources, made a film that is no worse than some of the thrillers cranked out by big studios with far more money invested, and big-name stars in the cast.
Dylan Gray (Rengert) is an up-and-coming architect who has a chance encounter with a flight attendant (Hong) and a hostile fellow passenger (Gallini) at PDX. For some reason, the guy takes his beef with Dylan to destructive levels. I suppose that he might be a psycho, and that he hates people like Dylan on principle, but the effort he puts into destroying Dylan’s life is way beyond belief.
The fight attendant, in a subplot that had me scratching my head, is involved in smuggling people and drugs into this country. She becomes a secondary target of Dylan’s nemesis.
Each time a new plot revelation appeared, the equivalent of “WTF!” popped out of my mouth. And the dramatic climax of the film is preposterous and contrived. It has a TV movie feel to it.
It has always been my idea that local artists should be given the benefit of the doubt. There is real talent here, but it is not quite ripe. I urge you to go see this movie to support the Panders, but I also need to tell you not to expect much.
C
Review of "Selfless," opening today (11/6) at Cinema 21
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