The Penitent Man

If you've seen K-Pax then you'll know what it's like when a film with a great premise and fully committed wonderful actors manages to create a reverse alchemy- a movie which is less than the sum of its parts.

Lance is intense and fascinating to watch as ever, and his face carries the burden of world weary regret wonderfully, but no-one else can quite reach the bar he sets.

The two-handed sessions are interesting, but never quite reach the heights of true insight, being entertaining rather than revelatory.

The main theme of the nature of Fate is fascinating, and the premise sound, but as others have noticed it would have made for a wonderful 30 minutes rather than a rather laborious 90.

Watch it by all means, but see it as a dress rehearsal for a potential classic short film rather than the rather vapid exercise it turns out to be.

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.

A tragedy, a work of science fiction, and a satire on mankind's thirst for knowledge all rolled into one, The Penitent Man bravely asks many "what ifs" without providing every answer. In a world of indie films about umbrellas dancing on water and other tripe, this one stands out as a fine example of what someone who simply loves movies can do.

In Nick Gyeney's sophomore effort, The Penitent Man, it's the summary's complex math that is being illustrated.

The story follows the interactions between a young psychologist and his three foils- his wife, his best friend, and his patient. Gyeney breaks a cardinal rule of storytelling: he tells instead of shows. Thankfully, cardinal rules of storytelling are more like guidelines anyway. The film is 85 minutes of dialog, and no amount of intrigue and suspense can prevent it from dragging in places. However slow the film's pace may be, the points of tedium are few and far between; an impressive achievement for a script that threatens to become a run-on sentence. Gyeney prevents this by giving the audience 10 CC doses of separate conversations, rather than a steady IV.

The center point of the film is Pyatt's conversation with a mysterious patient, Mr. Darnell (Lance Henriksen). Through the therapy session where Dr. Pyatt (Lanthrop Walker) attempts to understand- and subsequently help- the resigned yet charismatic Darnell, the main plot points are revealed in startling succession. A few minutes into the meat of the conversation, and most viewers will understand Mr. Darnell's purpose- if not the whole story. Yet, the wonderful thing about The Penitent Man is that it is not designed to keep the viewer guessing. The point is not a big reveal towards the end, but rather, the illustration of what Mr. Darnell understands, how it ties with Dr. Pyatt personally, and even how it illuminates mankind. Mr. Darnell speaks of knowledge, and money, and relationships, and time-travel... yes, time-travel. I'll leave the rest to your imagination for the time being.

The strongest aspect of The Penitent Man is- without question- the cinematography. Don't let the opening pan shot fool you; Gyeney is equally gifted with pen as with the camera. Every shot (with the exception of the aforementioned) is aesthetically pleasing. Every edit and transition is smooth and easy, like a good liquor, which belies the real-world experience of this young film crew at Mirror Images. Subtle hints and homages are given throughout the film, but the best part is that one doesn't have to catch all the little pieces to appreciate the whole.

The acting of the small cast gets a pass for the super-rich intangibles they are forced to contemplate. Even experienced actors like Andrew Keegan ("Ten Things I Hate About You", "O") are not immune to the notoriously flat delivery that indie films can bring out. Keegan's Ovid is still well-played, especially in the brief moments of levity in a conversation strewn with hypotheticals and abstracts most good friends don't often discuss. Walker, a relative unknown from Seattle, does a passable job as the conflicted Dr. Jason Pyatt. Melissa Roberts and Adrien Gamache shine in lesser roles as Pyatt's wife and a mysterious stranger, respectively. Unfortunately, Roberts' teary monologue and subsequent thrust-and-parry with Jason toward the end seems a bit contrived after a generally emotionless first half. Lance Henriksen ("Aliens", "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (VG)") is naturally the best of the lot, playing the part of the (almost literally) world-weary, eternally tormented scientist with delicious poise.

I will forewarn you that there is a secret that is never revealed, which may drive some to madness. But keep in mind when watching- the spectacle is not the point, the story is. This movie does exactly what these kinds of movies do best: inspire questions and discussion.

Keep your eye on this director. If this is what Gyeney can do in less than a month, on a limited budget, between projects, let's see what he can do with more money and time.

I recently saw "The Penitent Man" at the Seattle premiere early this week. The two main actors, Lance Henriksen and Lathrop Walker, performed very well. The soundtrack was appropriate and professional. In my opinion, what was supposed to be undertone was overtly obvious. The movie itself had interesting points and almost not surprisingly was written in two weeks. The director, who also co-wrote and produced the film, is very young and it is apparent that it is early in his career. There were places in the film that were overly tense and suspenseful feeling awkward and tearing the viewer away from the relationship trying to be established with the characters. This movie had potential based on the storyline idea but fell flat in the end.

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.