Turner Risk

I thought this was an in-house film made by college students who are learning film making. I hope that's what it was. Poor acting, direction, plot, and everything else.

In the first 20 minutes the potential was there, primarily via Nick Fink's performance. Once the other actors take over as an ensemble seeking the titular character, their incessant, chirpy dialogue, most of which attempts to be funny but rarely lands, becomes excruciating.

The Turner Risk drinking game would be to simply down a shot every time someone says: "What's that supposed to mean?!" You'd be unable to walk by the credits.

Some flashes of quality here - but for the writer and director's next projects, they'd likely benefit from more time in the editing room and less time focused on trying to make every character an amateurish insult comic.

About Turner Risk... the camera angles, music, editing, etc., were all perfectly merged together. There is real quality here and it is great seeing Nick Fink and the other actors in their first film. Storywise, a little more comic relief could have helped relieve the tension that builds over time. But despite the dark tone, the story really pulled me in.

Strong directing and writing too. The dialogue was unique in that it helped define the characters, making them more like real people we might know. Each character talked in his/her own way consistently, building each characterization.

The biggest part of the film's success with me was that it isn't like any other film out there. Every traditional plot point was twisted to something new and unexpected. I suppose that wouldn't work for those wanting to see a story they're more familiar with, but for me, this was far more fresh and real. This one also starts right off and doesn't let up too, moving from one eventful moment to the next, all of them connected in some way to that final shot. It kept my attention from start to finish.

By the end of the film I felt like I had gone through that intense day with them all. It was so very personal in many ways, the way it managed so many different character's innermost issues with life and each other. When Robbie looks at that tree at the end and remembers his cousin's advice at the beginning of the film, everything came together. Be the tree... It reminds us that sometimes unexpected changes hit us hard, but there's no way to prepare for them, just learn to stay strong and adapt. That's the ultimate lesson here.

This little film is worth catching. For me, Turner Risk is current, provocative, and unexpectedly powerful.

This film was, despite a clear limitation in budget, an excellent production. The script was tight and moved evenly throughout. Nick Fink and Carlin James shine here, with Fink's intensity of his role making me wonder why he isn't more well known. Michael Dailey's writing and direction are stellar here, making even mundane shots interesting and dialogue that is authentic. The pacing of scenes are riveting. Very much enjoyed this flick and look forward to more from the entire production team.

For a movie with a small budget this movie was so well made that I had to take a pause. Too realistic almost. Very impressed. Acting and production was excellent. This feels like new cinema art.