Suspension
Easy Action Films
Accent Films (Australia)
DVD Rental Release Date: 20 November
2008
DVD Sales Date: 19 February 2009
Sales via: http://www.myflix.com.au/
Suspension
is an impressive and haunting cinematic experience. The film opens with a
hand-held sequence showing a young family travelling along chattering away with
not a worry in the world, suddenly their world changes as another car smashes
into their vehicle at an intersection. Daniel Bannet, the driver, loses his
wife and son in the accident. However, it is not as straight forward as it
seems, as the accident unfolds, Bannet is able to “step out of time” and see
the event frozen as though time has stopped. He then awakens disoriented and in
extreme pain in a hospital.
As
the film progresses we explore Bannet’s intense grief caused by the loss of his
family, we also see his growing obsession with Sarah Caine, the widow of the
man who died in the other car. While playing back a film of the accident his
son was taking as the crash occurred Bannet makes a unusual discovery - the
camera has gained a frightening ability, it can freeze time. When he presses
the pause button the world around him stops–a tossed ball is suspended, people
freeze and everything except him is in suspension. At the same time Sarah is
unexpectedly affected by the process, every time he freezes time she
experiences a “dislocation” and suffers headaches and dizziness. She can’t
quite remember what has occurred, but clearly there is a connection between
herself and Bannet, one she does not want but cannot escape or explain.
At
first he uses the camera to experience the world in a new way, then, slowly his
grief moves to obsession, voyeurism and madness as he becomes focused on Sarah
and her life. He begins by watching her and entering her world in “freeze
frame” - fixing broken items, leaving gifts, making changes and helping her
along her way. This, of course, has dire consequences, as she becomes aware
“someone” is changing her life she becomes more and more paranoid and disturbed.
She knows she has a stalker but cannot find any evidence of him since every
event occurs in “frozen time”, she has strange and disturbed flashes of memory
but cannot piece them together.
As
Bannet’s obsession progresses to madness, his changes of her world become more
and more blatant, be begins to steal and manipulate the world around him to
gain what he needs to feed his obsession and kills Josh, Sarah’s potential
suitor.
This
is a very dark journey; melancholic, grief ridden and filled to the brim with
obsession and madness. There is a deeply disturbing voyeuristic quality to the
film in which Bannet constantly manipulates and interferes with Sarah’s life,
it makes the viewer squirm as we watch Sarah’s privacy invaded with her
seemingly powerless to fight back.
As
Bannet becomes more and more out of control, both his life and Sarah’s are
irrevocably changed, the climax to the film is suitably moving.
This
is a superb first feature from directors Ethan Shaftel and Alec Joler and
exemplifies the very best in independent film-making. On a limited budget they
have created a truly original, riveting and powerful film; it has an
intelligent and thought provoking plot and carefully balances a unique visual
style with good acting and moving performances, the soundtrack suits the
melancholic nature of the film and makes this a truly imaginative viewing
experience.
It
is great to see Suspension released in Australia via Accent Films, it is
available for rental as of 20th November and will be for sale as of
19th February 2009 – See http://www.myflix.com.au