THE MOVIE88 tells of Gwen (Katharine Isabelle), a young woman who awakens in a diner with no recollection of how she came to be there. Her memories are scattered and her belongings offer a few clues as to her past. Her fragmented mind pieces together a new persona, Flamingo, who sets out to uncover the truth about her past and kill Cyrus (Christopher Lloyd), the man she believes responsible for the murder of her lover.
As it sounds, 88 is part detective story, part thriller. The film revolves around Gwen/Flamingo, one a frightened and confused soul retracing her steps and piecing together her past, the other a bold, confident, angry woman out for revenge. The film presents her journey as she veers between personalities, interspersed with flashbacks as she unjumbles her memory. The film has a brooding atmosphere with striking palettes and saturated images that clash, often further adding to the frenetic feel of the plot. There is evidence of world building and attention to detail that should be praised too. Perhaps the best way to describe 88 is that it’s as if Robert Rodriguez took it upon himself to remake Memento. This encompasses the plot as well as the style of the film: a brash, frenetic affair that is visually exciting but at times loses focus.
88 is as fragmented as Gwen’s mind. Juggling these aspects within the film is both interesting and frustrating. The film strives to layer Gwen’s present with her past but the execution is lacking, leaving the film muddled in parts and in need of better structure. Exposition is lacking. The film relies on stylish imagery and action to flesh out the plot as well as Gwen’s reemerging past, but this leads to a lot of repetition within the film. Stylish imagery, reused again and again with no subtlety.
Some of the action choreography is, well, non existent. A scene where Gwen wrestles with a man to steal his car serves as a perfect example. Scenes like this break up the flow and show off some naivety and inexperience on the part of the filmmakers. While the frenetic feel of the film is apt to reflect the broken psyche of the protagonist it feels more like it is due to a lack of control on the part of the director rather than for artistic reasons. The director April Mullen has talent, but it is very much unrefined. 88 is the equivalent of a sports car with a faulty gearbox, it looks good but is inherently clunky and has a difficult time getting where it needs to go.
The film rides entirely on the performance of Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, American Mary) and for the most part she is more than up to the task. Her take on Gwen is very genuine. Fear and confusion contrast well as she ably veers into the more assured character Flamingo. We know from her previous work that she is very capable of injecting a sassy confidence into her roles and she confirms that yet again here. The Flamingo persona does offer further evidence as to how a few small questionable choices undermine the film’s integrity, adding a penchant for littering to her character traits. Doing it once reflects a disregard for authority but having it occur in nearly every scene undermines the action and just leaves it as a comical oddity. But 88 only enhances the career she is carving out for herself in this corner of the film industry. Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) has little screen time but uses it well to show a seedier character he is not often associated with, a reminder that we don’t see nearly enough of the man. And it’s always a pleasure to see the ever reliable Michael Ironside on screen as well. Other supporting cast members, however, range from the irritating to the forgettable.
For those looking for more accomplished features of this style, Blue Ruin directed by Jeremy Saulnier is probably the best revenge film of the past year while for an off center thriller I’d point you in the direction of The Guest. But for those looking for something with a strong visual identity that’s a little offbeat and raw, 88 is worth a watch.
THE PACKAGEThe film is pretty visually striking and the transfer shows good detail and contrast throughout. Vibrant colors pop nicely, high saturation moments look great, and no artifacts were visible. Some outdoor countryside scenes looked a little murky but overall the picture quality was good.
As special features go, there is an incredibly short Making Of that offers little. However, a lengthy (over 40 minutes) Behind the Scenes featurette is quite illuminating and gives a refreshing insight to the filming of the movie as well as interviews with the cast and crew.
THE BOTTOM LINE88 is a quirky, small scale feature that offers moments of flair. However, its attempts to convey the emotional state of the protagonist leave it a muddled, frenetic affair, but one that perhaps could become a cult classic to some. Much of the film rides on the performance of Isabelle who rises to the occasion. A little refinement in the technical approach could have made for something quite good but as it stands, an interesting if flawed film.
88 is available on Blu-ray from 6th January 2015. A link to purchase via Amazon is below.