A Small Fortune

This is writer and director Adam Perry's second-only full length feature film, and although far from perfect, for a newb filmmaker, it's better than some disappointments I've seen lately from seasoned filmmakers.

Perry's directing was actually impressive, to the point you'd think it was a Coen brothers' production. The story did have some plot and technical issues, and the pacing was a little slow, but the screenplay was tight, original and very well laid out and shot. A little more action and suspense would've gone a long way, and I would've loved to see more of the beautiful PEI landscapes.

All casting and performances were spot on, although I felt old man Omer was a little too much. The cinematography was great, and the score amazing, especially for a low budget indie B-film. It's a very decent 91 mins one-time watch, especially considered this was a novice low budget film. It's a well deserved 6.5 rounded up to a 7/10 from me.

Acting is a bit so-so (especially Andrea Bang who is utterly terrible and tends to ruin every scene where she opens her mouth and 'acts').

The plot is pretty predictable.

Cinematography was ok.

I'd say maybe watch it while you fold your laundry as there is nothing here to keep your attention.

3/10.

Kevin Doucette (Stephen Oates) and Sam Doucette (Liane Balaban) are a married couple struggling to survive in PEI. Sam is pregnant. Kevin harvests seaweed in a traditional way. It would be kind to say that it's a dying industry. The money is not worth the effort. Sam keeps urging him to move west to make some cash, but he refuses to leave home. Out of the blue, he finds money scattered in his seaweed and then a duffle bag full of cash.

This is a small Canadian indie in the mold of other small crime dramas where the down and out characters find a bag of cash. It is interesting that Kevin is still harvesting seaweed with a horse. Burning the boat is a really dumb idea. Kevin is not the sharpest tool in the tool box. He's not like a cartoon idiot either. There are so many foreseeable problems that he runs into head-first. That's not a problem. Dumb lead characters are often frustrating, but still interesting. I just wouldn't want dumb writing. My main issue with the story is that Kevin should be dead. At a certain point, he should be killed or at the very least, tortured to an inch of his life. I get that it's hard to kill the lead before the end of the movie. Maybe that's the better move.

This film is awful on so many levels, but most of all it just doesn't make sense. Like so many modern bad films it relies on advancing the plot by having characters do the stupidest, most brainless things possible. The lead actor might as well be playing someone mentally challenged. Actions take place in this film that are completely unrealistic. At times it seems as if the film makers want to take it in the direction of a dark comedy, but it is never funny. It's starts off kind of slow and boring and then dives right into absurdity. This was so bad , it was painful to watch, especially since they seemed to be going for something heart-warming in the end, but these characters were so bland and so fake , the kind that only exist in bad movies, that you won't care. I didn't care, I just wanted it to end already.

Every now and then a smart little caper film with intriguing twists and turns pops up out of nowhere to pleasantly surprise its audience. This is definitely NOT that film.

The story has an auspicious start, with a hook that offers promise for a real thrill ride. But it fizzles out quickly, thanks to a dumb script peopled by dumb characters.

Every single character in this movie makes the most idiotic choice in every situation. Apparently the writer-director couldn't think of clever ways to drive the story, so he opted to have them bungle whatever they were doing at every critical turn.

The main character is the biggest moron in the movie. He makes moves so dumb that his story should have ended with his painful demise halfway through the second act. The only thing that kept the story going is that the two villains opposing him are also incredibly stupid.

If you're in the mood for a stupid-fest, there's plenty to feast on here.