Roulette

I had never heard of this film. Not until I walked into a rental store did I see the cover and it's many awards and accolades. So, I took the chance and rented it. Not disappointed at all! The acting was a little off and the stars weren't- I knew none of the actors in this movie. That said, it was great. I really liked the idea of no bombs blowing up the planet, no sex-scenes too realistic but, some nudity was needed for the story to work. "Sunny" forced her struggling Christian role but, did o.k. overall. The others were well, like I said, not top-tier actors but, worked well together. The story line was unique and presented very well. Three suicidal people meet at one's house and play Russian Roulette with the intention to kill themselves...until it got too real. Flashbacks were used as part of the story so pay attention. Each person got to tell their story as to why they wanted to die. In the end, all was for naught. This was some kind of recurring incident. And to go any further would ruin the movie for those still wanting to see it. Great movie, good acting, great story and I liked it very much.

I have long enjoyed reading the reviews on IMDb, but never wrote one before. But after watching this movie and reading the reviews associated with it, I could not help myself. To start, anyone who says the acting in this film is anything more than decent is also probably wondering why Tara Reid hasn't yet won a Golden Globe. Either that or they drink more than the alcoholic in this film. There is a semi-interesting story line and I will hand it to the ending being good, but certainly not worth watching this boring movie. I can think of at least three occasions where I considered turning it off altogether. I love low-budget films and usually choose those over anything mainstream, but this movie is a disaster.

On the surface, "Roulette" sounds very intriguing: three people at the end of their ropes sit alone in a dark room playing Russian roulette, some half-heartedly, some with no fear of dying whatsoever. During the session, we flashback to what events got them to this room at this time in their lives. The flashbacks are even round-robined, which helps the film's pace.

Unfortunately this film has, what I believe to be, the worst cast assembled for an indie film in quite some time. I understand how limited the budget is for films such as this, but there are talented people available in even the smallest cities. The casting directors for this film had little to no experience and it shows. Of course, I ultimately blame the director, who should have either waited to find better actors, given better or more direction, or just pulled the plug.

Few of the actors cast in lead roles here had anything but background experience and that's painfully obvious as well, the worst case being Michelle Murad's Zoe whose line readings are either irritatingly dippy sing-song or shrill shrieking. NONE of the three protagonists are well cast and therefore range from unlikable to laughable. Ali Lukowski works her facial muscles so stridently in order to (I guess) relay her character's sexual repression that she makes Sunny an ideal caricature for SNL (Right to life Girl?).

All of it makes Roulette an extremely hard film to sit through and tolerate. In the end, if you're not careful, you might be the one who ends up pulling the trigger.

Roulette will surprise you if you give it the chance. Heavy plot, deep character development, and believable acting make for a movie that, although an indie, certainly is a marker of great things to come for all involved. The movie is actually all about character development as it deals specifically with 3 individuals coming to grips with themselves, realizing that every decision they make, and have made, leads them directly to where they are. Something many people do only when it is too late. There are a few moments that are drawn out that could have been just as effective had they been trimmed just a hair. But that is something easily forgiven. The story throughout seems to be pulled forward by flashbacks. This might seem confusing at times, but is suddenly pulled and bound together in a familiar yet dramatically memorable way. Not a date movie, but one to share on many different levels.

What's wrong with this flick? Acting; writing; direction; everything you see and hear. What's right with this flick? After what feels like an eternity of pain for the viewer, it finally ends. What's wrong with the reviews? As I noted in my own previous reviews, there is a clustering of rave reviews which always means a pity party held by those involved in the travesty; in this case, the month of around November. Gang, if you're going to lie (or give into your delusions) then at least spread the wealth out over several months (and to some extent the guilty parties did this) to dampen suspicion. The bottom like: Listen to the negative reviews; you surely have something (ANYTHING) better to do with your precocious time. Maybe watch a dumpster fire if you can find one....