The Penitent Man

This had the potential to be an excellent film but unfortunately drifted into mediocrity. This low/no budget time travel sci-fi drama started out with all the signs of being a hidden gem in the footsteps of "The man from Earth" before it tragically stumbles.

An interesting premise combines with some interesting dialogue for a not too preachy societal commentary. Had they focussed more on a theme of personal growth, the time travel aspect or possibly even the societal commentary angle then this one could have unearthed the gem that remained buried. As it is, it is more of a muddled mess.

Acting Henrickson and Keegan turn in good performances. The remainder should probably leave this one off their resumes.

Writing was excellent in the first half of the film sliding into tired for the conclusion.

Low budget so don't look for miracles in terms of soundtrack or cinematography and as expected special effects were no existent.

Overall...

Not sorry I saw it but unlikely to recommend it. If you have a couple hours with nothing more interesting to waste it on, give this one a look.

Yes indeed, a thought-provoking piece of work, generally well-acted. The ambiance and face-to-face dialog-centered framework used in the exposition of ideas is, however, straight out of the 2007 film "The Man from Earth" (check it out; I would rate it at least 8/10). And the scientific crux of the plot is straight out of Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter's 2000 novel, "The Light of Other Days." The similarities of this movie to these preceding works are so striking that it is hard to imagine that the writer and director were not consciously emulating them. As a whole, if your time is at all limited, I would recommend skipping this and watching and reading those earlier works.

Penitent Man (2010) is a mostly contemporary drama with science fiction notes, in which well-known actors like Lance Henriksen and Andrew Keegan mingle seamlessly with local Seattle talent.

Without giving much of anything away, here's the story: Mr. Darnell (Lance Henriksen) tries to convey an unlikely message to Dr. Jason Pyatt (Lathrop Walker), which could potentially save his marriage, his life, and the lives of billions of people.

There were a couple of elements of this film that stood out for me. The first was the dialog, by which I mean the writing, sound design, and acting. Penitent Man is dialog heavy, but not to a fault. The writing flows with an enjoyable dramatic cadence and the back and forth between characters, especially those who disagree with one another, are captivating to watch and listen to. An aside: Henriksen is not only a good actor, but a great voice talent as well.

The other element of the film that really popped out for me was setting. While the film was shot in a short amount of time, on a small budget, the film manages to create a clear and cogent world, while also highlighting some great places in Seattle that hardly made it into cinema.

Overall I enjoyed the writing, sound/music, and settings of the film, and I felt engaged with the characters. The film was a quality creation and I was left thinking/talking about physics and "what ifs" for a few weeks afterward.

Go watch it already!

The visuals don't change too much in this film, but that's just a minor thing, and doesn't really impact on it at all - it's the story and the script that really got me hooked!

Yes, another film about time travel, without the CGI & SFX seen elsewhere.

The performance by the two main actors was very convincing, and the dialogue very thought provoking. The other two actors weren't as impressive with their delivery from time to time (haha), but don't let that put your off.

I had goosebumps several times in this film and enjoyed just about every minute of it.

What tipped me over from 6 to 7/10 was the ending, it almost seemed to end... naturally.

I very much liked this film!

The Penitent Man is a thought-provoking psychological drama starring a small cast that is big on talent. The plot, though not unique, has intriguing twists that keep you engaged during the film and talking about it for days following. Short on budget, The Penitent Man lacks the action and special effects that many movie-goers are accustomed to but it has the appeal of fringe productions that garner a cult following. The film, which premiered in January 2010, was shot in Seattle and featured both seasoned Hollywood actors and fresh local talent. The young (23) director, Nicholas Gyeney, shows incredible promise… keep your eyes on him in the future years.