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Mini Reviews (August 2008)

Juncture

Juncture (August 16/08)

Though there's certainly no denying the strength of the film's downright irresistible premise, Juncture suffers from a pervadingly low-rent atmosphere that ultimately renders its few positive attributes moot. It's consequently worth noting that despite director James Seale's best efforts at infusing the proceedings with stylish visuals, the movie's microscopic budget couldn't possibly be more obvious - with star Kristine Blackport's distinctly underwhelming performance certainly not helping matters. Blackport plays Anna Carter, a high-powered business executive who spends her off hours tracking down and executing criminals that have, in her opinion, evaded justice. Screenwriter Robert Gosnell's decision to initially keep the viewer in the dark as to Anna's motives proves disastrous, as the character's increasingly inexplicable behavior will test the patience of even the most sedate viewer. And while Anna's modus operandi slowly but surely comes into focus as the story unfolds, Gosnell's inability to offer up a satisfactory explanation for what's driving the character to do what she does ensures that one is never entirely able to sympathize with her plight. Far more problematic, however, is the almost absurd degree to which the film has been padded out, as Seale offers up a series of overlong and flat-out unnecessary sequences that buff up the running time to an almost interminable 106 minutes (ie what exactly was the point of that dinner party scene?) The end result is a relentlessly uneven effort that surely would've worked a whole lot better as a short, although - to be fair - Seale's better-than-expected directorial choices ensure that Juncture does boast a handful genuinely enthralling moments.

out of

© David Nusair