I'm frustrated and disappointed.
Right away the movie tries extra super-duper hard to impress as quirky and imaginative like the independent comedy-drama it is. A tinge of earnest humor and some smart ideas are complemented with occasional flurries of overzealous editing, dramatic beats of slightly more weight that may get abruptly cut off, scene writing that feels like it's influenced by the low budget and availability of filming locations (e.g. An impromptu trip to the zoo, because why not?), sequencing and storytelling that comes off as more than a little disjointed, and some moments (instances of acting, or execution of a particular inclusion) that frankly just aren't as clever as they think they are.
There's the first half hour of 'Possessions,' a film that is 86 minutes long. At that point the core of the plot finally begins to show up and it is - actually - kind of great. There's very strong potential in the concept of a man facing significant difficulties, a disembodied voice that lives in his head, and the one-time girlfriend that the voice spontaneously recalls. That potential is borne out, to some degree. Only, I would love to see a version of this movie - a comedy, a drama, maybe a comedy-drama like this, or even some other genre - that explored the central idea without the extensive and obnoxious embellishments. The problems one first discerns as the picture begins don't ever really go away: filmmaker Nathan Adolfson puts so much effort into cementing the quirkiness and cleverness of his quirky and clever movie that the quirkiness and cleverness overshadows the would-be intelligent plot and too much of its would-be meaningfulness. This isn't the first title I've watched to experience such an issue, but in this moment it seems especially glaring here.
This is all the more unfortunate because where 'Possessions' is good, it's REALLY good. The contributions of wardrobe, hair, and makeup are fantastic. The supporting cast is terrific. Kevin Chamberlain, Autumn Reeser, and especially Jaime Murray illustrate terrific range, nuance, and poise, and each of them stand out like a lighthouse in a foggy bay. Though clearly forced into a corner by the material and direction, star Trent Ford ultimately shows his skills as well, filling a complex role with more dexterity than one would assume for a preponderance of the length. These qualities become ever more important as, very belatedly - say, within about the last twenty minutes - the picture drops all overemphasis on its cleverness and quirkiness and latches firmly onto sobering emotional beats that nearly brought me to tears. Here, at last, was the movie I had waited the better part of an hour to see, enduring all that preceded it!
Too bad the very last couple minutes drop the ball suddenly, unceremoniously, and unbelievably. I was allowed to think for just long enough that 'Possessions' had turned a corner that a shoddily written and executed ending lowered my regard for the feature even further.
There are good ideas here, there really are. So why did Adolfson feel the need to try so hard? When all is said and done I honestly feel sorry for Murray, Reeser, Chamberlain, and the rest of the cast and crew - and Ford most of all: they deserved a better movie than this.
