Dose of Reality

It's raw, sultry, fun, surprising... I saw a preview screening of this film in LA and REALLY enjoyed it. If you're a fan of intense, smart, slow- burn drama, (like David Mamet) where a few characters ram head-to-head and transform before your eyes, you definitely should check this out.

Fairuza Balk has never been better - she's electric, and haunted, and wounded, and powerful.

And the other two main actors totally hold their own against Fairuza with rich, edgy performances too. Great acting all around.

It's a kick-ass indie film that sticks to your ribs.

Dose of Reality offers something that is rare these days in cinema, originality.

The plot and development thereof is completely void of the typical formulaic approaches that exist in most movies in this "thriller" genre.

From the opening scene, till the end I had no idea what twists and turns would happen at the next moment.

Dose of Reality does not rely on flashy cgi, camera movements... to suck you in, but rather very well developed characters and unique plot line.

I highly recommend Dose of Reality to anyone who loves a true thriller.

Saw this film at Cinequest 23 in San Jose. Didn't know what to expect going in to watch the film. I was engaged the whole film and all of the actors are incredibly talented.

It's one of those films you have to watch twice, and then you sit back the second time and it's fun to see the things you missed the first time that lead to how the film ends. As much as I'd love to say I saw it coming, the ending took me by surprise. Which is pretty amazing considering that the entire film I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what was going to happen, who was guilty, etc. The credits rolled and I just sat in total silence, in shock. Plenty to be said about the social commentary in the film. I left the theater thinking. That's important to me as an audience member.

Weeks later, and I'm still thinking about this film!

I had the (mis)fortune of guessing the punch-line of this film quite early on, but then it's like the material I write myself in some respects. I think a normal audience would be about 50/50, in pre-empting it or not.

The performances are what really stand out in this film. It's like a stage-play: an all-closed-in, single-room (more or less) production - in fact I wonder if it started life as a stage-play.

Fairuza Balk as the vile Rose is just extraordinary, since she is given so much weight to carry for the whole act. She is backed up by equally stirring jobs from Rick Ravanello and Ryan Merriman. Some of the extras supporting crew are a little weak, but even then...

The thing is, this film creeps up on you, and I like that. After tolerating about an hour of the early-90's-pseudo-feminist psycho-babble drivel that pours out of Rose's mouth - and it keeps pouring, the whole film, her well of crud never runs dry - the voice in the back of your head becomes louder. The voice saying "something is going on here"... listen to that voice, and explore where it feels like taking you.

Wouldn't say this movie is a masterpiece, but it's damn clever and kept me turning the page to the end (even AFTER I guessed what lies beneath). It certainly deserves higher than the silly 4.something it has at the moment here on IMDb.

Had it been a stage-play after all, I would have happily applauded loud and long as the cast took their bows.

Where to even start? This is definitely more than a unique twist on the "stage play on film" sort of production, though at its heart, that is the format.

Yes, there is the complex interwoven character study twists and turns that this starts out to be, and for much of the production almost up to the end, that's what it seems to be, more or less . . .

But wait for it, the final twist is definitely a twist that is more than worth it.

Unfortunately, it would be almost impossible to even hint at what is really awaiting the viewer without stumbling across the threshold of a spoiler boundary, so I just can't go there with this review.

What can be said here is kudos plus for Fairuza Balk, who delivers her character "Rose" about as effectively as any actress possibly could, she definitely has talent in this category.

As for the overall theme of the story, well, the take away message might be a popular phrase from a previous era, "question reality". Particularly in today's world, perhaps more than ever, that message connects.

If anything, extra stars for a cleverly original concept, an evermore difficult task in today's world where virtually every conceivable plot and storyline that can be possibly imagined has been conjured up and rehashed endlessly over and over.

That might be a hint, sort of . . . OK, enough said.

A solid 7 stars for this one