L. Lion

Several reviewers have already said that this could have been a 25 minute Twilight Zone episode, but it gets stretched to 90 minutes. That is an apt description. The film's major flaw are long, unbroken scenes of dialogue that aren't interesting and don't advance the plot. Someone needs to tell the writer and director that watching an actress talk for five minutes at a switchboard is only impressive insofar as the actress is able to complete the scene, but with no cuts or anything visual of interest happening it becomes boring and after that, aggravating. These sorts of things happen several times with a caller to the radio station, a long unbroken shot of two characters talking (shot from behind) as they meander through a small town at night, and later in an old lady's house.

However this is a very well made movie - the production design and sets are impressive, but when your best scenes are in the high school gymnasium that has nothing to do with the plot but are only interesting because something visual is happening, you have a problem. Did Cayuga win the game?

In terms of plot points, there are several that just don't make any sense. The lead actress is working the town's switchboard - which she leaves multiple times. How are people supposed to make telephone calls in town if no one is there? The lead actor has a radio show - which he leaves. Does he leave his radio station with completely dead air? How much are the sponsors paying for that?

The cinematography and production design is very good. The tracking shots are very good. The acting is wooden, but given the absurdly long scenes of dialogue the actors are forced to deliver in one take, I applaud them for their ability to memorize. The rest of the movie is slow and boring. I'll give it 4 stars for the attention to period detail and the tracking shots. That's about the most I can do.