PARK CITY – Style trumps substance in "Between", a boggling metaphysical mystery set in Tijuana, of all places. This dramatic competition entrant seems like several parts of a Bunuel film stitched together in random order. Add the words "A rock and a hard place" to the tile, and you've got this stilted story's commercial prospects.
In this Byzantine scenario, a beautiful blonde lawyer, Nadine (Poppy Montgomery) is compelled by nightmares to search for her sister, someone she hasn't thought of in four years. Still, Nadine is hell-bent on tracking her down, fearing she is in danger. And, in Nadine's nutty frame of mind, she believes her sister is in Tijuana. So, she darts off, much to the concern of her husband. Once south of the border, Nadine harangues local officials to help her with her quest.
Unfortunately, "Between" is a dud from the beginning. Screenwriter Robert Nelms fails to muster any concern or sympathy for the agitated, pushy Nadine. Our interest in a high-strung woman on an obsessive quest for a sibling she barely knows is less than minimal.
Snapping back and forth between nightmarish sequences, Nadine's childhood and some hocus-pocus snippets involving a strange-looking child, filmmaker David Ocanas' hyper-active histrionics leave one cold. There's also some Doppelganger mumbo-jumbo which merely creates more confusion. Further mudding the slick sheen and convoluted narrative are are some stock story parts – the cops may be in on it. What is going on? Who cares?
On a visual level, "Between" is mildly interesting for the sole reason that Tijuana is such an eye-catching dump and that cinematographer Rob Sweeney has a flair for lush interior lighting. Unfortunately, the direction is so helter-skelter and the story such a cryptic crock that the aesthetics, like the film, simply doesn't add up.
Between
Opus Films
A David Ocanas Film
Producers: Margot Rogers Ocanas, David Ocanas
Director: David Ocanas
Screenwriter: Robert Nelms
Co-producer: Frank Donner
Director of photography : Rob Sweeney
Editor: Fritz Feick
Production designer: Candi Guterres
Cast:
Nadine/Dianne: Poppy Montgomery
James: Adam Kaufman
Detective Campos: Jose Yenque
Hotel Clerk: Danny Pino
Mrs. Gonzalez: Patricia Reyes Spindola
Nadine's mother: Alana Stewart
Mexican Woman: Lola Anthony
Mexican Doctor: Rene Pereyra
Adriana: Rebecca Isabel Torres
No MPAA rating
Running time – 91 minutes...
In this Byzantine scenario, a beautiful blonde lawyer, Nadine (Poppy Montgomery) is compelled by nightmares to search for her sister, someone she hasn't thought of in four years. Still, Nadine is hell-bent on tracking her down, fearing she is in danger. And, in Nadine's nutty frame of mind, she believes her sister is in Tijuana. So, she darts off, much to the concern of her husband. Once south of the border, Nadine harangues local officials to help her with her quest.
Unfortunately, "Between" is a dud from the beginning. Screenwriter Robert Nelms fails to muster any concern or sympathy for the agitated, pushy Nadine. Our interest in a high-strung woman on an obsessive quest for a sibling she barely knows is less than minimal.
Snapping back and forth between nightmarish sequences, Nadine's childhood and some hocus-pocus snippets involving a strange-looking child, filmmaker David Ocanas' hyper-active histrionics leave one cold. There's also some Doppelganger mumbo-jumbo which merely creates more confusion. Further mudding the slick sheen and convoluted narrative are are some stock story parts – the cops may be in on it. What is going on? Who cares?
On a visual level, "Between" is mildly interesting for the sole reason that Tijuana is such an eye-catching dump and that cinematographer Rob Sweeney has a flair for lush interior lighting. Unfortunately, the direction is so helter-skelter and the story such a cryptic crock that the aesthetics, like the film, simply doesn't add up.
Between
Opus Films
A David Ocanas Film
Producers: Margot Rogers Ocanas, David Ocanas
Director: David Ocanas
Screenwriter: Robert Nelms
Co-producer: Frank Donner
Director of photography : Rob Sweeney
Editor: Fritz Feick
Production designer: Candi Guterres
Cast:
Nadine/Dianne: Poppy Montgomery
James: Adam Kaufman
Detective Campos: Jose Yenque
Hotel Clerk: Danny Pino
Mrs. Gonzalez: Patricia Reyes Spindola
Nadine's mother: Alana Stewart
Mexican Woman: Lola Anthony
Mexican Doctor: Rene Pereyra
Adriana: Rebecca Isabel Torres
No MPAA rating
Running time – 91 minutes...
- 1/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.