Collaborator (2011)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

I was really taken with this film. It starts off about one theme, a professional failure, and then peels away unfolding like an emotional and psychological crap shoot. It builds in tension as it discards its facade. The dialog is on point, with the protagonist, a master of language, modifying his speech and tone to better fit those he converses with: his mother, wife, an elderly neighbor, a childhood friend. The dialog serves as its own character. I found myself stepping into the protagonist's shoes, reacting as I might to my past, taking a closer look whether I wanted to or not. Some nostalgic bells certainly rang for me, but that was the point. It is a film to watch slowly, to listen to without distraction. Perhaps it could have been tighter wound, crisper around the early edges, but then it's supposed to come at you from behind.

Robert Longfellow (Martin Donovan) is a playwright who is tired of the NY scene. He's not into living in LA either even thought his family is there. He takes a break in his childhood home with his mom. Gus Williams (David Morse) is the lifelong next door neighbor. He's 57, a drunk, in and out of prison, and still lives with his mom.Both of these actors are well seasoned. I was hoping for a lot more. However this feels like a writing exercise from writer/director Martin Donovan. This does improve when the actors are in the house together. The energy and the tension picks up a bit. I wish there was less time spent on the introduction. It's not really necessary. This movie works best as a 2-man play.

I had the great pleasure of seeing this fine piece of filmmaking on the 2012 Shanghai International Film Festival.Warning: There be some (minor) spoilers below!Synopsis: Playwright-past-his-prime Robert returns home to visit his mother and cope with his own failures in both career and private life. What starts out as a slow re-track of his life's mistakes, takes a unique turn when Gus, neighbor since childhood, comes over for a beer and brings with him a plentiful array of controversies.Review: If you like fast-paced action and explosions - Look elsewhere. Donovan's first try at directing is instead a quiet, yet loud little masterpiece. As the director does not shy away from even most controversial topics, at only 82' run-time there is little overhead.The movie, feeling more like a chamber play, is carried by its strong, realistic dialogues and the two superb protagonists. Both David Morse and Martin Donovan deliver their very best. While having a pretty obvious outcome for the main plot early on, it is the interaction between these two that kept me hooked the entire time. Most of the supporting cast is on par and the close-up and line-up camera-work, which so often fails in other movies, does remarkably well in this one and gives us some great scenes.While addressing its serious topics with respect and subtlety, humorous moments arise often enough, and by the end of the movie we have a vivid and realistic image of two very different and unique, yet with all their faults not unlikeable characters.One of the quiet movies that raises many more questions than it gives answers. Highly recommended – Go see it!9/10

I had the opportunity to see Collaborator at the Newport Beach International Film Festival and the New York City premiere. It's a thrilling movie that takes the viewer on a roller-coaster ride of unexpected turns. From politics, to fidelity, to war, to crime and seeing the explosive interaction between two very opposite individuals there is surely to be some portion of Collaborator which makes you laugh, become angry, and feel empathy towards the characters. A well thought out and executed film with a highly climactic ending that I enjoyed immensely. David Morse's character is executed very well and by the end of the film, I couldn't help but to feel quite sad for the life which he's led. If you have the opportunity, I'd highly recommend it.