Snapshot is a low budget film that has a few surprises. Despite being low budgeted, it does feature a few surprising supporting actors-- such as Ralph Loggia and Joyce DeWitt. It also has a plot that seems silly and inconsequential, but if you stick with the film to the end, it WILL make sense and offer an amazing twist. So, on balance, it's worth seeing despite its flaws.
The story is about a down and out photographer, Thomas (Zach McGowan). He has some issues with his father (Loggia) and is also struggling to get his life together and is living in someone's basement! He also has a bratty daughter from a previous relationship...and she's a bit of a mess. All in all, his life prospects look awful and by all accounts he's a bit of a loser. However, his big break comes when he happens to be in the right place at the right time...and he just happens to have his camera along with him. What sort of photo does he get? Well, let's just say that the First Lady forgot to wear underwear that day...and the photo could be VERY embarrassing if it gets published. Soon, huge offers start pouring in and Thomas is torn. After all, it sure would help him out of his financial mess...but it also would be a real jerky move! While the notion of folks threatening Thomas over the photo didn't make much sense when it was introduced, just sit tight...it does make sense at the very end. That is fortunate because I sure was confused and thought it was just a case of bad writing...which it wasn't.
Despite some nice acting and a story that kept my interest, the film is clearly far from perfect. There are a few dangling plot elements that seem to have been forgotten (such as the trashy daughter's even trashier boyfriend) and some of the acting and writing are a bit suspect (the over-the-top gay guy was about as subtle as a stripper showing up at a Baptist barbecue). But I can look past these shortcomings. After all, these are folks who are relatively new to their craft in many cases and I look at the film as a training ground. And, there's enough promise to make me want to see more of their work in the future.
