Remedy

Well, I didn't choose wisely when I rented this movie. Yikes! Although the concept for the film had potential, the attempt failed miserable. The story is about a drug addict artist who wakes up from a drug induced stupor and finds his friend murdered. He doesn't know what happened and whether or not he's responsible. The police then investigate and interview all the cocaine snorting friends who last saw the man alive and think they may have a suspect, but there's a twist in this struggling plot. There were some familiar character-actor faces within the cast and even an appearance from former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley in a "vain" attempt to attract viewers to this sorry film –I begrudgingly admit that I took the bait. What makes this film weak is it lacks stability and a strong storyline with good character development. The acting was amateurish and the dialog was lame –that is if you could understand it through all the mumbling. If that wasn't enough, the poor quality of the film, due to the low budget, was quite apparent…for instance, the poor sound mix and jiggling camera made it seem like I was watching a home movie or a student film. To keep viewers awake or to continue watching, some sex and naked women were thrown in the mix for the guys. As for us ladies, there is nothing to hold our attention. In closing, unless you're like me, a KISS fan who wanted to see Ace in his first dramatic role, don't bother with this movie. I give it a generous 2.

There's nothing like a good murder mystery, so when a friend recommended a little-known film called "Remedy," I decided to pick up the DVD and settle in for some intrigue. I was not disappointed. Our protagonist is Will Bentley (Christian Maelen, who also directs), an artist who just might be able to sell some paintings if he could spend more time with paintbrush in hand rather than needle in arm. His girlfriend Michelle (Candice Coke) would likely party right along with him if not for the fact that she is carrying their child. Will's best friend Josh (Nicholas Reiner, also the screenwriter) manages to help feed his own habit by playing a shell game with other people's money, including his own best friend Will. His biggest creditor is Tom (Nick Aiello, Dannys son). Then there's Evan (Jon Doscher), who provides a bit of comic relief as a coke-addled dentist who has his nose in everybody else's business, literally. Of course, a bevy of beauties weaves in and out of their lives, and former Kiss-man Ace Frehley (yes, really) is frighteningly brilliant as Will's supplier Johnny.

When Josh is mysteriously knocked off, with Will passed out on a bench nearby (or was he?), the whodunit proceeds and everyone is suspect. Enter Arthur Nascarella as Detective Lynch, who takes charge of both the investigation as well as the film. He owns it from the moment he appears on screen. Character development here is well-paced and unhurried, so from the moment the crime is committed and Lynch has to put the pieces together, it's easy to rank our likely culprits. And so the fun begins.

Make no mistake about it, this is an indie in the true sense of the word. The characters drive the story, and the story drives the film. Maelen is one sharp director. He sits back and lets his actors do the work, as good directors do. There's not a lot of hand-held, no distracting camera angles, no rapid-fire edits -- just let the acting and the story fill the screen without resorting to dazzling visual effects. When needed, they're pretty convincing. Not that I know what a drug OD looks like. But it sure was believable.

Production values belie the film's shoestring budget, and with this cast of veteran character actors it's hard to go wrong. But most of all, the story is compelling. It held my interest right up until the jaw-dropping conclusion. It has all the elements of the best crime dramas and it delivers. If you're looking for a neat little whodunit to curl up to, this just might be the "Remedy" for you.

I give this film a high rating because out of all the straight to video, shoe-string budget projects out there, this has to be rated as one of the best.

It's a murder mystery, and the cop on the case, a usually played out role, is one of the best I've seen anywhere. Arthur Nascarella has to be one of the most underutilized actors around. He pops up in major projects now and again and is featured on the Sopranos (2 other vets of that show appear here as well- Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore) But this is the first time I've seen him carry the show- and carry it he does. He adds humor and/or depth to every scene he's in. He deserves more leads.

The greatest surprise has to be Ace Frehley. With no acting experience he is amazingly convincing in the three scenes he's in. I guess some guys are just naturals.

The 2 leads are also WAY above par for a low budget indie. Christian Maelen (Will) and Candice Coke (Michelle) work through the twists and turns of the mystery with charm and grace. And Maelen directed the project which along with playing the lead is no small feat. So many before have not been able to wear both hats and he definitely pulled it off.

Lastly, a lot of the writing was wildly funny! Sometimes perverse, sexual, or raging- often ranting- but it was on the money- uninhibited dialogue that rang true.

Overall- I rented it to see Ace Frehley and ended up getting a whole lot more than I bargained for.

I considered this a poor and basic movie, why? Well, the story is very poor, the cast is very poor and the shooting is also poor. For starters the plot begins with the final scene which is something I really find irritating, however, many good movies do that...Anyway, the whole movie centers around a crime which is investigated in a very pointless way and very little happens besides that, except for a few needless sex scenes... The cast didn't help either, sometimes it felt like an amateur movie, the main character was OK and the police detective was funny but the rest was very bad. I didn't like the way the movie was shot either, nothing new here and I felt the camera could have transmitted a much better idea and feeling with a bit more effort.

I stress the word basic and not simple because simple things can be very beautiful and interesting, however, this movie has no depth, explores the drug world in a futile way and as a detective story it did not convince me.

I didn't give it a lower vote because with all its flaws it still entertained me for a while (it was a Sunday night).

Hey, without referring to any past reviews specifically, I don't know what some reviewers are talking about when they say the performances were "leaden", NONSENSE!! These performances I thought were particularly well acted and well written. Especially the role of "Detective Lynch" played by Arthur Nascarella of "The Cooler", "Copland" etc....The guy seemed so real as an NYPD detective that I started feeling a little paranoid and guilty about the wacky tabacky that I had just finished off myself before sitting down to watch this fine indie gem of a movie. Oh Yeah, did I mention the fact that he spent 20 years as a real NYC cop... Can't get any more real than that. Also the role of the Junkie struggling to get his life together "Will Bentley" played by Christian Maelen of "I Think I Do" and "Wisegirls" was nicely executed with a real-life sense of the gritty street life that almost makes you feel as if the actor had once been there himself??...excellent work by both actors. As for the plot and storyline...O.K., it's no "Chinatown" or "Citizen Kane" but come on,let's be realistic. This is a small, dark and gritty indie film which I think made the most of and did pretty well with what was rumored to be a miniscule budget of $100K or so. All in all a real nice job of a raw indie film with some strong performances by some young up and comers, not to mention all the beautiful Lipstick Lesbo action..gotta love that! Oh yeah, and for all you Kiss fans out there, come on, you know who you are, did I forget to mention Ace Frehley!!...that's right ACE FREHLEY as the wise old dope dealer "Johnny". Really cool to see Ace in this kind of film, perfect for him, Right On...GO ACE!! Anyway, I say go check this one out, definitely worth adding to your DVD collection if you're a fan of movies with an indie edge ala "Drugstore Cowboy" and "Requiem For A Dream". P.S., Great surprise, twist ending also, definitely check this one out!!, Peace Out Indie Fans, Later - Big Jack.