PROOF SHEET
Review by Karen A. Kerbis, aka "La Gringa Novelera"
22 January 2023
A millennium ago, Rod Stewart famously sang "Every Picture Tells a Story.
" He was right. But in the new
thriller Proof Sheet, the question at the heart of its mystery is every picture might tell a story, but what is
the story being told? And as the movie's hero Angel (Leo Llenas) learns, that's not such an easy question
to answer. In his case, the closer he comes to the answers, the more questions he has, and the more
danger he finds himself in.
Typically, film noir heroes are jagged grown-ups who have been through a lot, with a past that haunts the
present. Barely 21, Angel seems too young to have a past. But, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear he
is haunted by two ghosts. Angel is tormented by abandonment, which explains why when he meets a
beautiful young woman Reina (Catherine Lidstone, The Chosen), sees an opportunity to become
important to her, even though he has no idea what kind of trouble she's in, or how she knows his Uncle
Gilbert (Alejandro Delgado, The Bold & the Beautiful).
Someone drops off a roll of film to be developed with images that suggest Reina is in danger. Angel is on
the case and sets off to investigate what happened to her and why. Angel is sure that something frightful
has happened to Reina. But, the more he learns, the less he understands. Leo Llenas does
a tremendous job as a young man who has to learn a lot of hard truths very quickly. He rapidly outgrows
the innocence of childhood, shedding that skin with convincing authenticity. We root for him.
Proof Sheet unfolds in a Latino neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1999, boasting an outstanding cast
predominantly comprised of Latino actors. Personally, I find it perplexing that we don't encounter movies
(and casts) of this nature more frequently. Frankly, it's invigorating to witness a mystery unravel in a
community where people, who happen to be Latinos, are simply trying to live their lives. This stands in
contrast to the usual scenarios, such as upper-class British characters at an English country house for a
murder mystery weekend or the recurring theme of grim Norwegians investigating yet another serial killer
in the bleakness of the Arctic Circle. I could go on, but you get the idea.
A sense of doom pervades the movie, thanks to director Richard Kilroy, who also co-wrote the script with
Eduardo Santiago. Proof Sheet takes place in the week between Christmas and New Year, 1999 - the
Eve of the Third Millennium. There was plenty of anxiety to go around back then, as people worried about
the ability of banks, government, you name it, to manage the change in automated systems from 1999 to
2000
In Proof Sheet, the Millenium anxiety gnaws on the edges, but it's there, and another thing to worry
about. This is a new film noir, made by people who grew up on the genre but have brought it into the
present without being campy, which is not easy to do. In fact, it's done remarkably well here.
The movie is nothing if not atmospheric, with tributes to the masters in some pivotal scenes you can't
miss, paying homage to classic scenes from masters like Hitchcock and Lynch.
Famed Cuban-born actress Maria Conchita Alonso (The Running Man, Predator II) has a pivotal role as
Chrisanta, a psychic who is just scary enough for me to want to seek out her advice every day, either
because she is always right, or because I would hope that would keep her from putting a curse on me.
Either way, it works, and it is great fun to see her again.
Midway through the movie, Angel meets his father, and shows him the proof sheet that is driving
his search for Reina; His father suggests that the photos might just show a less ominous "surprised"
version of Reina, and could very well mean nothing. "Don't trust what you see. It can get you killed,"
Angel's police-detective father warns him.
The question is, will Angel follow that advice?
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