SYNOPSIS: A.S.P. (Army of Simply Purity) is a secret government agency that watches over the Tangle from within technology safe rooms, locations impermeable to the nanobots that make up the Tangle. When the A.S.P. field agent Margot Foster is murdered in one of these rooms, an abandoned speakeasy, it’s the first murder in California in three years. The main suspect is Carter Carmine, a private detective, who used to work with the agents of A.S.P. on a program called the Cleopatra Squad. Cleopatra created the Tangle. Married A.S.P. agents Edward Banderas and Laurel Arrow have brought Carter to one of the safe rooms after surgically removing his S.O.L. from his brain. Carter was following Margot just before her murder. He has a motive, and he is one of the few in the world with the technical expertise to hide from the Tangle. The agents use the Tangle information to badger Carter: they know his movements down to the millimeter, down to the millisecond. He is clearly hiding something.
REVIEW: THE TANGLE is a noir driven tale where science fiction is used as the foundation for the plot. Unlike the visually breathtaking film “Blade Runner,” Ridley Scot’s take on Philip K. Dick’s tale “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” THE TANGLE is more of a claustrophobic noir piece that focuses on the dynamics of five characters and the mystery surrounding a murder. As the majority of the drama takes place in a single location, and in mostly a single room, there is a feel to the action that made me wonder if it at one point might have been a stage play. There are some interesting exterior locations and the speakeasy where the murder is committed, but those, and a couple of other production designs, feel like window dressing to connect us to this futuristic world.
The key component to THE TANGLE is Christopher Soren Kelly, who not only stars in the film but is also the director, screenwriter, and editor. He clearly understands the material and has the skills to do an excellent job both in front of and behind the camera. The science fiction elements aside, the film feels more like a Dashiell Hammett or Mickey Spillane story. Kelly does a nice job of moving the camera and adding some quick edits to keep the energy flowing. He gets solid performances from his cast that builds tension and maintains the viewer’s engagement. Sometimes the dialogue is laid on a bit thick with the quick wit and baroque barbs from those noir films. There are a few times where it feels a bit much and takes the viewer out of the action for a moment. Overall, Kelley does an impressive job with what he delivers with all the hats he is wearing on this film.
I enjoyed the plot, thought the science fiction element was compelling, and liked how the characters were connected. Other than the self-driving car in the opening of the film or the talk of nanobots, I would say the film has more of a Steampunk feel to it as there are other elements that seem more mechanical or gear heavy, as do the weapons. Enhancing the tone and emotional cues of the film is an excellent score by composer Liam Fox O'Brien. There are movements in the score that feel like they are paying homage to some cinematic sci-fi classics.
Any good science fiction story is at its core and examination of the human condition. Regardless of all the gadgets, flight suits, and flying crafts, the tales address larger issues in a way that allows the reader or viewer to come to grips with it in their daily lives. THE TANGLE presents several issues, including the use of tech as we are currently addressing in our daily lives. It is an important issue even in these pandemic times. I appreciate that Kelly presents these arguments without backing the viewer into a corner or making conclusions for us. He does present the characters in a way that there are consequences for their actions, which gives the film that cautionary aspect. Kelly presents a good story and what he delivers works as a solid piece of cinematic storytelling. Still, I wonder if it might be an even more powerful stage drama.
Having had a chance to digest the film I couldn’t help but wonder at the irony if at some point Kelly had thought of Sir Walter Scott’s famous aphorism, “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.”
CAST: Christopher Soren Kelly, Joshua Britton, Nicole da Silva, and Jessica Graham.
CREW: Director / Screenplay / Editor - Christopher Soren Kelly; Producers - Jessica Graham & Christopher Soren Kelly; Cinematographer - Robert Muratore; Score - Liam Fox O'Brien; Production Designer - Eric Thorne;Costume Designer - Annie Burdzey; Visual Effects - Adrian Bishop.
OFFICIAL: thetanglemovie.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/thetangle
TWITTER: twitter.com/thetanglemovie / @thetanglemovie
TRAILER: https://youtu.be/XjtQVzfOX8c
RELEASE DATE: On VOD March 19th, 2021
**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)
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