Collusion

"Collusion" is a very clever film consisting of many layers, and it takes you on an engrossing journey as each one is presented. The movie opens on a painting, which a voiceover tells us was once part of a much larger painting, and similarly, the artwork is only a small piece of the movie's much larger web of deceit. On the surface, Jack Littlemore (Aden Gillett) runs a museum security business, Sally Waterville (Kate Ashfield) is his vivacious companion, Darren Headway (Daniel Lapaine) a young entrepreneur, and Serena Ames (Jessica Brooks) a frustrated daughter of a very wealthy and overprotective father who disapproves of all her relationships (including her latest one with Darren). Well, let's just say that things are not always what they appear to be.

The cast is outstanding, and really gives the movie an edge. The actors and actresses strike a great balance of allowing you to get to know them, but at the same time keeping certain things hidden and elusive. It's a fine line, but they walk it quite effectively. And director Richard Burridge gives the film a very sly, smooth feel, as he coolly weaves a complex story. When the film starts it is hard to tell where it's heading, but as the story moves along and the characters continue to interact, the frame of the puzzle comes into place. Then comes the challenge of putting the pieces in the right positions. "Collusion" certainly keeps its most important cards held until the end.

I saw "Collusion" at its US premiere at the Boston Film Festival, and knew nothing about it save what I had read in the one-paragraph synopsis in the program (and that the director would be present at the screening). I had seen no previews, and knew none of the actors- a different perspective than for most movies one usually sees at a multiplex. It was refreshing to go into a film without any preconceived notions of events or characters, and I believe this enhanced my enjoyment of the movie (and it's good idea to watch this movie with a clear mind anyway). But perhaps the most telling sign of this movie's impact is that after it was over, and as I listened to Burridge field questions from the audience, I was also thinking about the movie in my head, and trying to untangle its many twists and puzzles. And as I took the subway home, I kept thinking about it, and I realized that putting the pieces together was just as rewarding as viewing the finished product.

Its been 3 years since I've seen the movie but I remember it as being in my alltime list of favorites.Be sure and check it out as I am not going to tell you a thing.Cheers,James

Man, was this a crummy movie. I'm not sure if it was the actors' faults for being wooden or if nobody could play these characters and make them interesting??? The main actress looks 35 but acts 19, all I could think was 'crackwhore' when I watched her. The other characters were just dull and boring, and some of the lines and situations were so stupid -- ie in a restaurant, the main actress actually tossed her earring on the floor to instigate a private conversation under the table. Puh-lease!!! I rolled my eyes a lot when I wasn't looking at my watch. This was one of the longest 90-minutes movies I've ever seen. It was shown at a film fest in Houston and I can see why it's not going to show at any of the art-film houses here for a run.

Against the ebb and flow of the film industry, Richard Burridge the writer/director/producer of Collusion has produced a film which is thought provoking for the audience, not just a spectacle to be watched and observed.

To get the most out of this film the viewer has to constantly reflect upon what we are being shown and told. As many characters of the film are deceiving and being deceived, so too is the audience. Never have I been kept on my toes so much in a film trying to work out exactly what the real story is and what is really going on. With the idea at the beginning of the film that not everything is how it seems, we immediately start to suspect everyone and anything. The fun of this film is all about the discovery of truth.

There is a scene in the film where Jack Littlemore (Aden Gillett) is organising pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to reveal the picture. This is exactly what the film is about. The audience must organises the pieces of information given to them throughout to try to reveal the bigger picture.

Of my own personal quest for the truth when I viewed the film, all I will say is that I was on the right track, but still far enough off the scent to be left amazed and bewildered by the reveal at the end of the film. The clever thing is that once you realise what has gone on in front of your eyes, it all seems so credible. Richard Burridge manages to weave a fantastical tale, but make it seem credible and make so much sense that it left me wondering how I hadn't worked it out for myself when the answers were there all along. The film is testament to Burridge's story telling skills as he manages to keep us guessing right to the end.

In conclusion, Collusion is a very engaging and entertaining film that challenges the way in which we watch films. We are left to fill in the blanks and unravel the story strands for ourselves which gives the film lasting impact long after the initial viewing.

I don't know what movie the other posters here saw, but if it was the same one as me, they really need to get out more. This movie is an eyesore. Where can I begin? To be fair, I think the basic story is good. Or could be, with a little work. However, the script is choppy as hell with absolutely no flow to it. We're supposed to believe that just because a bad script confuses us with one unrelated scene to another filled with droning dialog, it's an intriguing mystery. Confusion does not equal mystery. We're confused not because of the mystery story, but because there's not any solid story there!

In fact, the script wanders so much we're confused about what the film's really about: an art theft? No. One man's struggle to steady his failing career & relationships? No. Some sort of confidence game? Maybe. The author tries hard to make this appear like a real mystery / suspense film using cliché and mysterious, hush-hush, unrevealing dialog.

A good mystery will lead you down one or two false paths and surprise you at the end. A good suspense film will have you wondering what's around the next corner; what's going to happen next? This movie bores you to death leading you nowhere, then has a puerile ending a 10-year-old could see from a mile off. The only surprise is that you actually sat through it all. If you did.

One person compared this to Mamet's Spanish Prisoner. Not even close. The only similarity is that both look like plays. That is, lots of dialog. Collusion is full of long scenes with endless chatter about nothing. That, and long scenes forcing us to watch boring night club singers. My script coach would chop this thing down to about 15 minutes of screen time. Maybe it should have been a short film? I hope the actors got paid well. I've seen them in other films and it's hard for me to blame them for this film's outcome. 3 out of 10.