Tuesday, July 24, 2012

KC Fringe "Film Classics Presents: Suspicion" review by Detailer

Film Classics don't present camp
Rating: 2

Film Classics Presents: Suspicion
KC Fringe Festival

I was all set for a campy laugh riot, but this does not happen for me. They missed their chance.

That said, I would nominate one scene to be lifted out of this and crowned the Best Scene of the Festival, if there were such an award. Actors Stefanie Stevens and Matthew McAndrews perform a delightful variety of dance styles while having a conversation that often mimics the moves they are making. Kudos to writer / director Kevin King and choreographer / dancer Stefanie Stevens for a terrifically well-written and well-choreographed scene.

Chadwick Brooks as the TV hostess new to the job elicits many laughs. Her thanking the TV viewers for the applause when the audience clapped for one of her lines is the kind of humor that should be present throughout.

Stefanie Stevens is a complete delight. She embodies the character with every move and gesture. Francisco Pancho Javier Villegas and Matthew McAndrews are very good in their portrayals, and I enjoy the chemistry among the three.

Dana Joel Nicholson delivers a perfect characterization of a gangster, but the pacing of his lines is very slow, particularly in picking up cues. That is especially evident in one scene after which the TV hostess comes on and comments about how fast people talk in old movies. Oops, they didn't just then.

Interminable scene changes kill the show. If a choice is made to use large furniture and create challenging scene changes, at least bring out the TV hostess to entertain us while we wait.

No comments:

Post a Comment