The Historian

Not only is this review a cheer for those of you who took the time to see the directorial debut of Miles Doleac's The Historian, but it is also a rebuke for those of you who - like me - waited until the last minute or did not see it at all. Why I waited so long, I can not say. Maybe I was not impressed by the trailer. Maybe I doubted the merit of a local production. You can quote me when I say that I was in the wrong.

If anything, the soapy trailer misled viewers. More times than not, Doleac's reflection on academia and the art of moving on knocked me for a spin. Doleac is obviously well versed in these kind of stories. When the narrative threatened to initiate autopilot, the director/writer/actor tilted the wheel ever so slightly, offering a fresh look at old ground.

So what is this movie about, exactly? I could go on and on about Ben Rhodes (Doleac), a Latin professor left wounded by life, and his various entanglements concerning teacher- student relations, teacher-teacher relations, marital issues, grumpy department chairs with ailing parents, and the laziness of students. However, all of these various plot elements point to a much simpler summary: this is a story about a troubled man learning to let go, to move on. Do not let the abundance of characters haze this defining point. This is Ben's story and Doleac remembers that more times than not.

Even though it is a small-scale, local film, The Historian sinks its teeth into a particular career - here, it is academia - better than most big-budget dramas. I was personally familiar with just about every one of the film's locations, having grown up in Hattiesburg, but I never once doubted the authenticity of this world. It feels lived in. We see the ins and outs, the politics, the egos, and all the dirty laundry that comes with the deal. Most people take this degree of world-building for granted; but no matter how convincing the actors are, if you do not buy their world as believable, nothing works. Doleac succeeds in blending this lived-in world with three-dimensional characters.

As to be expected in a movie of this scale, some of the performances are better than others. Unsurprisingly, the characters that stick the longest are those performed by the veterans in the cast. William Sadler (best known by me personally as the Grim Reaper in the Bill & Ted sequel) makes the increasingly unlikable Hadley human up to the last frame. Northern Exposure's John Cullum plays Hadley's fading father arrestingly. Which leaves Doleac, who, though stretched thin with his directing and writing duties, never seems to forget that above all is character.

Now that I have spoken a bit about the actual story, let me indulge in what I liked most about this movie. The fact that a director in south Mississippi would make a movie that included a bit of (gasp) nudity and an even greater bit of language left me rather impressed, if I am being honest. Now, do not get me wrong. I am not saying that because I am a big fan of cursing and naked bodies. It impresses me that someone of such high standing in a community so grounded in its ways has the artistic nerve to tell a story the way they felt it should be told. I am a staunch believer in artistic honesty. A story can only be told one way and compromising that way is both dishonest and discrediting.

Wrapping it up with a return to the actual story, some of the resolutions clicked with me more so than others - as did the subplots in general. Doleac proves with The Historian that you do not need millions of dollars and A-list stars to make a movie that stays true to character and strives to say something about our human condition.

Debut films are often hit or misses. Many bomb in quality and lack in depth. But some, often very few, exceed all expectations and rise above the status quo. The Historian accomplishes this feat on the back of Miles Doleac and leaves no room for doubt with this up-and-coming filmmaker and actor.

The Historian is a film that examines several different plot points, from love to accomplishment and further to jealousy and determination, only to name a few. There are powerhouse performances here and directorial beauty. Though the film may not be Nolan-esque quality, it proves that the highest budget isn't needed to create an entertaining and enthralling work.

Miles Doleac stuns with his acting, directing and writing for this film. He is a man who beats all odds and proves himself to be the product of his own determination and passion. I predict he is someone who we will be seeing a lot of in the near future.

John Cullum and William Sadler both give amazing performances in this film and are perhaps the highlights of the acting field in this piece. They both astound with their humanity and flaws that are captured beautifully by an unforgiving and honest script.

Beyond the more technical aspects, The Historian offers an in depth look at the higher educational system and often the corruption it presents. Doleac attacks the fact that students aren't pushed and are allowed to slack off and succeed, thus setting them up for future failure.

This is one of many examples of the plethora of angles that The Historian focuses on. There is no shortness of plot elements and the characters beyond anything else feel alive. It is a film that anyone can watch and enjoy. Its run at film festivals and awards won at said events were earned in a deserving manner. Passion is in every scene and it is always apparent that this film was made by someone who loves the art of film making.

I recommend The Historian to anyone who enjoys good drama and likes a taste of something new they haven't seen before. Every aspect of this film is great and it is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable movies of the year.

charlesdunphey(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Everything about this movie is cheap and bad! The plot is bad, the acting is bad (especially by Miles Doleac the writer/director and main actor), the production is cheap and the supporting actors are bad. And that actor Colin Cunningham just looked and acted too much like Pauly Shore in this movie. (And I like Pauly Shore movies)

Sometimes a movie can be cheap but not bad. And sometimes a movie can be bad and far from cheap. But here in 'The Historian' you have both. I sat through all two hours of this disaster thinking it might just give some laughs because it kept sinking into a melodramatic soap opera bog of bad. Well that didn't happen!

And then in true Bible belt fashion (this movie was made in Mississippi) a sermonet on Jesus is thrown in for what reason I don't know. Something about living your principles I think. And my opinion on that scene can be found in Nina Simone's famous song about Mississippi.

This movie is not about feeling sorry for the protagonists. It is about the conflicting desires, values, opportunities that make our lives an unholy mess from time to time. The place and time chosen make for believable interactions berween very different people living through very different, if intermingled, crises. This is not about good or bad people or about winners and losers. It is about being human, the predicaments thereof, the tasks, the sorrows and the loves. I welcomed it . Oh, there is a gunshot : paintball, color green...

A great film about a young history teacher who tries to move on from his past by taking a new job at a university. A university job sounds easy right? Think again, this is one of those films you have to watch to really understand how the academia world works. A very accurate portrayal played out perfectly thanks to screen veteran William Sadler.