Scalene (2011) User Reviews

Following three interesting characters until it loses its edge

[napierslogs · 6/10 · 12 September 2012]

There are essentially three characters in "Scalene". And with respect to the writers for their rather ingenious title, we can pretend there are three points of view. The first half of the film is spent with the mother, but mostly told backwards in time. She's seeking justice and revenge for the incarceration of her mentally-handicapped son charged with rape. Then we hear from the son and then the abused girl herself.

The mother, played by Margo Martindale, is stressed out to her wits ends and is trying to find someone who can understand what she's going through trying to raise her brain-damaged son who can't speak all on her own. The interesting part about her sequences was telling it in reverse. We first see her after the conviction, then immediately following the incident itself and then a number of scenes leading up to the incident. At this point, we have no idea what happened but it proved to be interesting enough that our curiosity was piqued and tension was high waiting for the big reveal.

Then we hear from the son, Jakob (Adam Scarimbolo), but of course he can't speak. And based on the handful of random, bizarrely shot, meaningless scenes, we can assume he doesn't understand much of the world around him.

Then comes the interesting part of the film – the victim's sequences. Paige Alexander (Hannah Hall) is, at times, an average college student. She's looking for a part time job, one that should advance her in her chosen career of social care. Young and inexperienced, Jakob's mother hires her to take care of Jakob a couple of hours a week because she seems honest and caring. The similarly inexperienced actress Hannah Hall (who got her start as the "young Jenny" in "Forrest Gump") will hopefully go far based on her powerful but extremely tender performance of a girl who was always just trying to figure out the right thing to do. And she more than held her own against the heavy-hitting Martindale.

Paige was an interesting character because she's figuring out just as we are figuring out what is going on. She has a cold respect for her parents but can't turn to them for help since they have lost touch with reality. Her friends haven't experienced what she has experienced and would be unable to offer advice. Paige is strong and independent, but she's forced into a situation where she's scared and alone.

Unfortunately, the problems for "Scalene" come when some of the actions venture far from credible or realistic and sympathy for the characters is all of a sudden hard to come by. But worse is the editing, and/or acting, in the revenge scenes. Characters are hit over the head and fall down the stairs in such a cheesy and artificial manner that it resembles a super low-budget, unintentionally funny, ridiculously stupid horror movie. It is better than that, but only when we've connected to the characters and we're following Paige waiting for the ultimate twist. Before and after that, the film loses most of its edge.

Not Perfect, But Emotionally Strong and Worth a Look

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 24 August 2012]

A perceptual thriller told from three points-of-view revolving around the rape of a female college student by a mentally handicapped man and his mother's subsequent revenge after his incarceration.

I have to give this film some credit. I started off not liking it, thinking the acting was poor and the characters unlikeable. The film quality was also somewhat suspect (though this might just be because I was watching a screener and not a "real" release).

As it progressed, I still found the mother's acting to be a bit weak, but the other characters more than made up for her shortcomings. And then the film goes for an emotional punch, and another one, and one more... the characters remain unlikeable, but this turns out to be the beauty of the film. We find it hard to sympathize with the mother, despite her years of hardship. We find it hard to sympathize with the caretaker as her exploitation motives come more and more to the forefront. The only one who seems to come out unscathed is the disabled boy...

Films without heroes are hard to judge. I think people generally walk away feeling dirty or empty inside and therefore want to give the film a bad rating or review. In fact, if they do this, I feel they missed the point. Any film that is able to affect you, make you feel empty or dirty, is powerful. Films make us feel happy or sad all the time, but few really present humanity in all its blemished notoriety.

I want to congratulate Zack Parker on this film. While it is by no means a perfect film, it is a powerful film and an emotional uppercut.

3 Sides of the Triangle

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 13 September 2013]

"Scalene" is a decent, crafty thriller, and I applaud its ambition to give its audience something psychologically complex to chew on. But it's also a case of a director not being up to the challenge he poses himself, and the result is a film that frustrates its audience, not because of its intentional ambiguity, but because it's at times downright confusing.

Margo Martindale plays a woman taking care of her mentally handicapped son. She enlists the help of a college student as a part-time caregiver. When the student begins to suspect that the son is being abused by the mother, she takes matters into her own hands and does something appalling in an attempt to protect him from further harm. The gimmick of the story is that it's told through three different perspectives -- the mother, the son and the caregiver -- each perspective in turn using a different chronology. The mother's story is told to us backwards, the caregiver's linearly, and the son's in a mixed up stew that is supposed to mirror his mental processes. The director has been on these message boards (or at least someone claiming to be the director) defending his film against charges that it's intentionally ambiguous. According to him, it's not ambiguous at all, and he points to the middle section of the movie, the part told through the son's point of view, as containing the key that makes the rest of the movie fall into place. After watching the film once and being a bit befuddled, I re-watched that middle section, and it does in fact bring some clarity to the film. But a better director could have helped his audience understand things on one viewing without sacrificing any of his artistic integrity. When re-watching a film gives you a greater appreciation for it, that's the sign of a well-made movie. When re-watching it simply clarifies some points that were too obscure to understand the first time through, that's poor story telling.

But "Scalene" does have a lot to recommend it, and it is thought provoking in its own modest way.

Grade: B+

Definitely flawed but still pretty interesting movie

[lazarillo · 22 July 2014]

A lot of people would not like this film, and I did find it flawed, but not for the same reason a lot of other people probably do. A scalene is triangle with three unequal sides. And this is three stories that are "unequal", not only in that they contradict each other somewhat in the famous "Rashomon" style, but they're also unequal in length. The mother's story runs about half an hour, the brain-damaged son's story is very brief, and story of the young sociology student who claims to have been raped takes up most of the movie. If one side of a scalene triangle exceeds the length of the other two combined, you obviously can't "close" the triangle. I'd have to go back and look at the running times of the three stories, but regardless the director chooses not to "close the triangle". The ending is ambiguous and leaves a lot of things unresolved and a lot of key questions unanswered.

Of course, this infuriates a lot of people who want a tidy resolution and clear answers. And they get upset with the director and start throwing around the word "pretentious", as if it's a worse crime to try unsuccessfully to do something new than to just do the same old thing. The style here is a little pretentious. The first story is told backwards, "Memento" style, which is a little too much, and the end also is a little bit pseudo-profound (a term I like better than pretentious). But ambiguity and moral ambiguity, the existence of multiple and differing points of view, no one really knowing everything, and a lot of things being left unresolved is actually very REALISTIC, much more so than the clear and tidy resolution of most movies. It's ironic that people today love "reality" shows where a clear narrative with often totally manufactured conflict and a tidy resolution or "closure" is imposed on reality. You can make reality fictional, but if you give a fictional movie like this too many aspects of reality, people get upset.

Anyway, the narrative structure of the movie I found interesting and even the ending didn't bother me. The first story is good (despite aping "Memento") and the disjointed second story genuinely seems to be "told by idiot" in its complete narrative confusion. The problem I had was the third story is simply not believable. The character of "Paige" is good, a naive young person trying to do the right thing and making bad decisions. But I didn't think ANYBODY would make some of the foolish and downright perplexing decisions she does. The performances of the actors playing the mother (Margo Martindale) and son are spot on, but the performance of Hanna Hall, who plays "Paige", is very uneven, great at times and quite awkward at others. I think a lot of it though is character and the direction, not the actress. Hall was great some years ago in "The Virgin Suicides" and she has had a more interesting career than most actresses. taking on a lot of offbeat roles and actually doing nudity even though she is not your typical Hollywood-style "hot", but looks much more like a normal girl (most Hollywood actresses who are "hot" seem to just coast on it and can be very boring as actresses). But I don't think any young actress could have been entirely successful in this infuriating role of a character who is much more realistic than usual, but who often makes completely unbelievable decisions.

This is flawed movie for sure, but that does not mean it is any way a bad one.

Terrific Film

[the_kcd · 7/10 · 18 February 2011]

I saw this film at the private screening this past weekend in Indianapolis and left the theater sure that I had just seen what will be one of the best films of 2011. Scalene is the third film by director Zack Parker, though it clearly marks his entry into a whole new caliber of filmmaking. Inexchange (2006) and Quench (2007) were good films, but they were films nonetheless of a director still honing his craft. Scalene, however, is a film that after having seen, people will ask themselves, "why haven't I heard of this guy before?" It epitomizes the very best of what independent film can and should be. This was a low-budget film, but there is nothing about the production that would lead anyone to believe that it didn't have millions of dollars at its disposal. A higher budget would have only meant more expensive actors and crew, but certainly not better. In many ways this is a difficult time for independent filmmakers. The majority of films that now premiere at independent festivals have A-list stars attached to them which attracts audiences and money to the festivals, but makes it more difficult for first-rate productions, like this one, to receive the recognition and exposure they deserve. Often low-budget films don't interest the larger movie-going public because they expect that perhaps the professionalism of the production will be at a level below which they can appreciate or tolerate. Often this is the case. However, I challenge anyone to see this particular film and not come out of the theater with a new-found appreciation of what can be accomplished with relatively little money, but a whole lot of talent.

An emotion jerker that takes a severe turn for the stupid

[williamburr2001 · 3/10 · 17 February 2013]

This Rashomon rip-off does alright with its first two stories, but falls on its ass with the third. Paige's story is so completely ridiculous, so far from the realm of reality, that it embarrasses the rest of the film to be a part of it. The movie does a pretty good job of manipulating emotions until then, but when the turn happens, everything becomes stupid, unbelievable, and ridiculous.

This is not a thriller, it's like a Lifetime movie that attempts to tug at your heartstrings but absolutely fails in the execution. You may experience the first 20 minutes of the film and be impressed, but it throws away all its credibility shortly after.

Great Drama! Not a Thriller/Crime tho.

[Carriexoc · 7/10 · 10 July 2020]

Incredible acting. So good! But I hate when I'm mislead by stating a movie is a "Thriller" and it's not. This is just a drama. Period. Worth a watch for sure!

A surprising gem

[woogielee · 9/10 · 27 February 2011]

I was invited to a screening of this movie by a friend, and when I heard I was going to be seeing a low budget, independent film I did everything short of feign illness to get out of having to attend. On the way to the theater my mind filled with images of ridiculous drive-in fare and late, late, late night monster movies of the sort where you can see the zipper on the creature where the "actor" climbs inside, along with a multitude of other cringe-worthy scenes that come to mind when someone says "low-budget". Bottom line, I expected everything to be horrible. What I got instead with Scalene was a taut, heart-wrenching character study with such a degree of emotional impact that I was left still shaken the following day.

The story is told from three people's perspectives, and as can be expected each of their individual stories fills in gaps left vacant by the others'. This isn't the first time I've seen multiple perspectives in a movie, but as far as I can recall it's the first time I've seen three separate perspectives told in such singularly distinct ways. The lead actress, Margo Martindale, is simply marvelous. Her name might not be familiar to you, but you'll recognize her from everything from Dexter to Million Dollar Baby. The movie also stars Hanna Hall, the girl who played young Jenny from Forrest Gump, and my goodness has she ever grown up. The actor, Adam Scarimbolo, who plays the mentally handicapped son as described in the IMDb synopsis, (I'm not giving anything further away), I recognized from the movie A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. His character in Scalene is unable to speak, yet even with no dialogue his performance is breath-taking.

Back to the issue of this being a low-budget movie. There was nothing cheap or unprofessional about anything in this movie, contrary to what I had expected. I noticed on the IMDb page that Scalene was made with $150,000. I don't know anything about the business of making movies, but I had previously thought that movies cost tens of millions to make. Most seem to. Knowing now that quality has very little to do with the budget I wonder, unless there are lots of expensive special effects, where does the money go for big-budget movies except into people's pockets? I could not recommend this movie more, not only because it shattered every stereotype I had previously held about low-budget, independent films, but because it is a first rate movie with a truly captivating story.

Good movie, I liked it a lot.

[mortmeat5 · 7/10 · 30 September 2017]

This story is told from 3 points of view (hence the title "Scalene"). Margo Martindale gives a strong performance as she always does. Many of you don't know her name but I'll bet dollars you've seen her in at least one other project and saw a strong performance unless you're like F _Jenkins, an utter misanthrope. Mr. Jenkins, character assassination is not a movie review. Unfounded accusations about the writer/director is just bad form. That being said ...Hanna Hall (who you might recognize from The Virgin Suicides or Rob Zombie's Halloween ), takes a rather complex character and does a fine job of making her an unstable yet caring antagonist. Adam Scarimbolo you may recognize from Boardwalk Empire, Sopranos, Law and Order SVU, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, to name only a few does a remarkable job of conveying his character without the benefit of spoken word. I can only imagine how difficult it must be. All-in-all a fine effort.

Go watch something else

[baines · 1/10 · 11 August 2012]

I thought that this movie could be something worth watching, but it isn't.

The acting isn't very good, there was especially a scene with the mom and daughter at a restaurant which didn't feel natural at all.

The story is narrated in a way that we begin in the end of the story and work our way further and further backwards in time. That could have worked, but the timing is bad, sometimes there are small jumps and short scenes, and then then suddenly there is a long scene. Too inconsistent in my opinion.

** Spoiler ** The whole thing with faking a rape is also really absurd and horrific to me, no sane person would to this. She chooses to sexually abuse a mentally challenged person, inflict physical damage to him and herself instead of reporting her suspicions to the proper authorities. Totally illogical.

I also think that the movie fails to portray the relationships between the characters, mostly they feel kind of detached from each other.

Great Indie movie!

[NukeCalifornia · 8/10 · 11 August 2012]

When I first saw Scalene, I left the viewing with a big WOW!. Great independent film and kudos to the director, producer, writer and actors for a simple yet well arranged movie. The reverse story technique was a nice touch. Personally, I'm tired of those so-called mega-bucks movies made up of plenty of effects and little story to them. I found sympathy for the all the characters, particularly Paige, who went to lengths to do the things she had to do. The only thing I have some issues about is the ending, it could have totally been done full circle. I recommend Scalene for those who wish to leave the beaten path of Hollywood movies to enjoy a great piece of film-making.

Many Questions, No Answers

[nammage · 4/10 · 28 February 2018]

The word "scalene" has to do with three parts of one's neck. It's from the Greek (skalenos) which means 'uneven'. That's exactly what this film is: uneven. It's a vantage point film with actually no vantage point. Not an easy feat to accomplish. So many questions and none of them with any answers. When the character Jacob was 12 years old he huffed paint thinner, had a seizure and became mentally handicapped. Years later, as an adult, his Caretaker accuses him of raping her (falsely) because that's the only way she sees in saving him from what she contends is an abusive household. This film is all about perception from three points-of-view: Jacob, his mother and Paige (Jacob's Caretaker).

The scene where his mother takes care of him afterward (when the character Charles was invited to the house), I wondered (based on the mind of Jacob) if his mother was abusive to him before he started huffing; why she never blames him for anything he does afterward. Or, if the father was in the picture and the father antagonized Jacob (and why he huffed) and the mother blamed Jacob instead of the father, who eventually (I guess) left them. I got these thoughts when Jacob's mother was dating Charles in the beginning and at first the mother blames Jacob for antagonizing Charles and making him leave but then apologizes right after blaming him saying it wasn't his fault. See, these are questions and you have these and similar questions about all three main characters; and it doesn't matter if what we're seeing is real or not real: there should still be some kind of answer to at least the main questions and there wasn't.

We are seeing things from the psychological point-of-view of the three main characters. How they see things whether rested in reality (their reality) or not. And throughout there are tiny bits of actuality in the film, such as when Paige responds to the advert for Jacob's care; when Janice (the mother) is sitting in the car (maybe even in buying the gun); when Jacob is just sitting there staring and you're trying to figure out what he's thinking. That's it. Little things like that.

This film was well shot, well acted, well directed, well composed, badly written. There are no answers. Perhaps it's a double entendre but even if it is: there's still no answers to anything, at least from my vantage point. The person who called this a "Rashomon ripoff". Rashomon involved three (or four) people telling their side of a story to a court. No one is telling their side of any story in Scalene. We are viewing a story told by an uninvolved storyteller. Also, Rashomon answered questions; Scalene lets the audience answer all the questions (executed poorly, by the by). Rashomon has a truth revealed at the end. Scalene has no truth revealed anywhere in the film. The whole film is a perceptual lie; and that would be great as a film but with some sort of revelation; and there's none in Scalene.

Good movie!

[haroot_azarian · 8/10 · 11 July 2020]

I do not agree with a lot of the criticism, especially criticising the acting. Hannah Hall was absolutely superb and convincing just as she was brilliant in Forest Gump. My only criticism is the very ending! It leaves us in limbo, not knowing which version of the story is what really happened? The mother's version? Or the carer's version? Perhaps this is what the director had in mind. Leaving us in limbo.

Taut Indie Proved Too Clever For Itself

[drpakmanrains · 8/10 · 4 April 2015]

Obviously my 8 rating shows I really liked this highly unusual thriller told from 3 points of view, all in different temporal order. But as the low number of reviews show, few saw and even fewer liked this story of a mentally damaged (due to huffing) 26 year old, his mother well played by Margo Martindale, and a female college student who takes on the part time job as the young man's caretaker, and becomes over involved, to the point of doing an extremely unlikely act to try to get her charge committed, since she is convinced Mom is physically abusing her son. Sometimes, as is the case here, the writer-director is so consumed with trying to be original in style, he overdoes it and winds up with a convoluted film which frustrates many of the viewers and leads to a financial and artistic failure. I usually dislike when the director tries to show how clever he or she is, and I am surprised I was able to follow the proceedings here, probably due to the intensity of the subject matter and some good performances by the three leads. As the film is now 5 years old, it is unlikely to garner much attention going forward. I recommend this film only if you know what to expect before you watch and don't mind films that don't follow straightforward storytelling.