Let me start off by saying that I hate hate hate HATE drama-genre films. I'm getting a lot better at being more accepting, but more often than not they bore the crap out of me.
Not so with Steven Sprung's film DISPATCH. I had the honor of being invited to a special film premiere, where myself and a few hundred other people had the opportunity to watch the story of a man who doesn't follow his dreams to become a writer and how that plays out. The story all takes place in the garage/office of the dispatch office of a limousine company, named Utopia. We follow company manager Nick, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery through a series of tumultuous events in an evening filled with snobby celebrities, aspiring writers, and enough twists and turns to keep the audience interested throughout.
First the good stuff. The audience never leaves the Utopia garage, hardly ventures outside, and is confined to the same jail-like office that Nick spends most the night in. Barely does a film ever do that without causing half its audience to fall asleep. Dispatch not only keeps us on the edge of our seats, but does it while literally keeping the story confined to this small office. Throughout the night, Nick is communicating with his drivers, his clients, and his wife. Although we know what the drivers look like, we never see them making their stops but the way the film was directed you can see it in your mind's eye with extreme clarity. It made the film somewhat suspenseful because you as the audience start feeling the claustrophobia, panic, and stress that Nick conveys throughout much of the movie. Being able to successfully do this truly does shows Mr. Sprung's skill. Likewise, even though you hardly see the wife of Nick (except in some photos), you can feel the tension sadness in her and Nick's conversations.
Bad stuff time! Hardly much, but there was a little. I found that whenever Nick was talking to his wife, it kind of took me out of the film because the conversation just felt a little forced. The acting overall was amazing, but there were a few lines that Nick spoke where I cringed because they felt forced and rushed. And.... that's it.
Overall, Dispatch was a pretty amazing film. I'm more of a one-time film kind of guy, but I would recommend this to anyone who loves drama-genre films. It's evenly paced, with a fantastic ending that will leave you satisfied. Check it out! 9/10
