Aftermath

Without question, "Aftermath" is one of the most inept films I have ever seen. Characters are introduced with absolutely zero development. The photographer should write a letter of apology to the audience for his headache inducing close ups of half faces. In places things are so dark it is ridiculous. Some of the bizarre camera angles are nauseating. as if this wasn't bad enough, the whole story is a so what, as characters we know nothing about, go around killing each other. This is film making at it's worst, and by the way, it is advertised as a "black comedy", which it most definitely is not. Avoid at all costs. - MERK

And seemingly for a very understandable reason.

It just goes from being one type of movie to being a complete different one with little coherence.

The reason for that is pretty simple Chris Penn died during the filming of this movie so the movie couldn't be finished.

The director had to re-write the whole movie to make it work around the scenes that he had filmed with Chris Penn and add additional characters and sub plots.

And unfortunately it doesn't work, first half runs fairly smoothly but the second half just becomes a puddle of randomness and leaves you with more questions than answers.

It's not all bad, but there's not a lot good with it either.

But at least Chris Penn fans will finally get to see his final performance.

Just make sure you watch the credits, there are some additional scenes in there.

I did love seeing a few different recognizable actors in roles they don't generally do, that was fun.

I would like to see this movie remade again without having to work around the death of the main antagonist, knowing that Chris Penn dies during filming makes you wonder how interesting the movie would have been had it not had to be rewritten.

I was shocked to see that this was made in SARATOGA SPRINGS NY. I lived here all my life. Would of been awesome to meet him and I know where all the places are that they used in the movie.

I remember avoiding films with Anthony Michael Hall in them when I was growing up. He starred in teenage coming of age flicks at a time when I was leaving those silly teen years behind. Thankfully, things and time have changed. He now stars in AFTERMATH, a thriller that will be remembered for its unique presentation.

Dear reader, please allow a little techno-babble at the beginning of this review, rather than the customary conclusion. Director of Photography Scott Beardslee incorporates rather unique camera angles in AFTERMATH. They are not kosher and generally off-skew. As a rule, this is not good, but, with this film it works. It suggests something is not quite right with the unfolding of the plot and the actions of the characters. It's similar to the 1960's BATMAN TV series, where the villains were always shot with a cant camera angle; though these shots are more subtle, and not as blatant. Beardslee also utilizes reverse framing; placing principle characters in the wrong portion of the shot to provide further feelings in the viewer that something is terribly amiss.

Couple this cinematography with un-regimented graphics and a tie-in to a graphic novel between scene changes and AFTERMATH has a unique visual presentation which helps its story immeasurably.

Anthony Michael Hall is Tom Fiorini. He is a construction company owner, very successful and very wealthy. When he first appears on screen, he is in quite the dilemma. Flashbacks reveal the incidents and circumstances on how the opening scene eventuates and we meet a plethora of sketchy characters along the way. There is Tony, played by Chris Penn. This is Penn's last film performance. He was found dead while the movie was still in post-production. He's a framer for houses, a former convict and general BA with an attitude problem. He butts heads, literally with Matt, played by Jamie Harold who is the construction foreman. When their confrontation escalates, Tom is dragged into the fracas which soon snowballs into avalanche proportions. Along the way, Tom's wife, played by Elizabeth Rohm and a justice seeking sheriff, played by Leo Burmester (who incidentally died one year after post-production was complete), and local gangster King, played by Tony Danza, will be dragged onto the battlefield.

Director Thomas Farone ends the film, but then explains the ending by inserting additional clips during the end credits. This is a rather clever ploy because not staying until the end of the credits means the entire mystery will not be revealed. As a bona-fide film critic, I always make it a point to stay until the end credits roll. I become a bit testy when folk leave beforehand, or worse, stand up in front of me and beginning talking, blocking my view of the screen. I know some of the folk in Tinseltown, and I like to see their names. With this maneuver, Farone forces the movie balers to sit through the credits or risk not knowing the who or why of the murders. Nice.

As thrillers go, AFTERMATH is an average tale. It was originally shot in 2006, and after a few re-shoots, was placed on a shelf in distribution hell. It's one of a growing number of films that never opened in Pittsburgh; however, it is currently available on home video and VOD. If you're looking for a quirky, but very watchable murder mystery, this one should fit your bill of fare. It is added by solid performances by the cast, and a bit of creative trickery behind the camera.