The Prodigy

From the first gun shot to the last gun shot, The Prodigy was unlike any other film. The writing(Kaufman), acting, and Producing(Rucker)were all first class. The story line was quite fascinating, every character is involved in the underground crime scene, still a good guy is able to emerge from this violent circle. Truman(the lead character), is a complex character with a dichotomy of emotions, that leads one to wonder how he ever got involved in this lifestyle. The movie explores and shows a different side of crime that most have not ever thought about. How the producers and everyone involved made this first class film without the backing of a major movie house is testament to the creativity and dedication by everyone associated with the film.

I was invited to their private screening in Dallas as a friend of a friend of a friend. I had no info on the film, so I didn't really know what to expect. My expectations were minimal. About a minute into it (very cool credit sequence hits), I realize that I was not about to watch your typical low-budget indie film. The Prodigy is one of the most intelligent thrillers I have seen at any budget level. The film tells the story of Truman Fisher (an incredible, A-list performance by Holt Boggs)a small time hood and the jaded anti-hero of the film. What he doesn't know is that he is being watched and studied by a legendary killer that we as the audience never see until the end. No, I'm not going to spoil it, but this film kept me guessing in disbelief with every turn. What impressed me the most, is the attention to detail that was paid to every element of the film. The acting, the fight scenes, the wardrobe, the visual style and last but not least, the script were so very specific and well thought out. In a genre that is known for being over the top and cheesy, especially at this level, it's the subtleties that put this film in a class by itself. The Prodigy is a thinking man's film, set in a genre that will entertain the most simple minded audience member. For a film trying to get out there and launch careers, this is the perfect vehicle for everyone involved. Bottom line, is this film was done for very little money, by a group of complete unknowns across the board. The Producer (Rucker) had to be some kind of miracle worker to help Kaufman pull this off. It resets the bar in my opinion of what is possible of film-making at this level. If this is truly his first film, then the William Kaufman is going to join the likes of great directors like Michael Mann, Walter Hill and David Fincher. I am a fan and can't wait to see what he does next.

I saw THE PRODIGY on its last night screening in Dallas and was delighted with the outcome. As an independent filmmaker myself, it was great to see such local talent (Both in front of and behind the camera) doing such wonderful jobs with a script that could have been very formulaic. A great job was done all round, from the overall quality of the film to the cast and crew, I really enjoyed this film and would be very surprised if it weren't picked up for distribution along the way. If you get the chance to see this film, I would not pass it up. You will be pleasantly surprised. There is more freshness and originality in this independent film than there is in most of the big studio films that are being thrown at us constantly. Great job to all involved!

The Prodigy is straight out awesome. Flawless direction (William Kaufman), outstanding acting, amazing editing, and top notch sound. The film looks outstanding, the producer (David Rucker) and his production team made sure that every penny was put on the screen. This is a movie that keeps you guessing until the end and will stay on your mind way after it is over. The story is about Truman (Holt Boggs) a mobster who is looking for someone who killed some people at his bosses house and then kidnapped his bosses Nephew. What Truman doesn't know is this mysterious person is also looking for him. This movie is full of action, comedy, and suspense, but the mysterious killer being hunted is truly terrifying. He is as scary if not scarier than any villain from a horror movie. As far as the shoot out scenes go. I couldn't even compare it to an action movie, It's more like a war movie. You just have to see it to believe it. I loved this movie. I saw it at a premiere in Dallas. I think it will make its rounds at festivals before being released to the public, but if you get a chance to see it...do it.

The Prodigy begins with a drug deal going sour. Only instead of 2 sides facing off against each other in a typical Mafioso fashion, someone dressed like the Scarlet Pimpernel but with the aggression of Jason Voorhees on crack, appears out of nowhere armed with a zillion weapons and cuts them all down before getting into a brutal fistfight with last man standing Truman Fisher. The action is so searingly intense, it makes recent actioners like Running Scared look like a 70s episode of Seasame Street in comparison.

The mystery villain is soon revealed to be some sort of mystical mega-psycho who goes by the name of Claude Rains (as he is, in a way, an invisible man) after he kidnaps the nephew of a gang boss. Truman Fisher is sent to find him but discovers that there is some kind of weird connection between him and Rains.

That is where my understanding of the film ends as it becomes far too messy and unfocused. At a running time of 2 hours I feel a lot of fat could have been cut to keep a tighter, more nervously wrought pace. Whenever Rains is on screen, doing his shooting, slashing and torturing the film absolutely soars. But in between, when Fisher is going from one place to another, it really lags. And by the end you won't have a clue what's going on or why. Less filler during the second act and more coherence in the third would have made this film so much better. I wasn't the only one who felt this way as there were several people in the audience who left halfway through.

Made on an unbelievably small budget of $219,000 the film honestly looks 10 times that amount. The action and fighting is amazing and Rains is a truly terrifying, imposing villain who pushes this film well out of the Crime genre and into Horror.

Obviously, since the budget is so small, it won't star anyone you've really ever heard before but they do just fine. A few characters are completely superfluous and could have been cut-out in a more preferable, leaner running time however.

The film is surprisingly stylish and action-packed considering it's low-budget nature but that doesn't excuse the increasing lack of sense as it goes on.

Still, it's a fine attempt at film-making and adds something new to both Action and Horror.