I caught this film about a month ago on Propeller, a channel on the Sky satellite network. I was at first quite surprised at how violent the fight scenes were but gradually the story pulled me in. The pace is initially quite slow but gathers speed as Ciaron McCallum's (I'm assuming the pale man of the title)tale of betrayal unfolds. The world in which this story of revenge is set is totally believable, with the filmmaker's opting for a fly-on-the-wall documentary style. This, for the most part, works well for the film. There are a couple of exceptions to this in the form of scenes that don't quite work as well as they should have because of the use of this particular visual device.
The performances also are fairly strong, Darren A. Furniss is brilliant as Ciaron, a man who says very little but let's his actions do the talking. I was really impressed how, despite his lack of dialogue, Furniss still managed to convey the sense of hurt and emptiness experienced by his character. Other stand-outs included Phillp Allen-Taylor as Bedford, a man caught between what he knows is right and what he has to do to survive. Matthew Morrissey as Danny also impressed. His cowardly crime lord really came across as a man who is clearly out of his depth. Morrissey brilliantly conveyed this, especially during a scene in which he finally realises the consequence of his actions. He stands alone in a toilet cubicle and realising that he has failed to halt Ciaron's rampage, begins to fall apart. It really hits home as one of the film's strongest, emotional moments and serves to lift 'The Pale Man' from it's simple, revenge thriller trappings. And speaking of strong, emotional moments, special mention has to go to Ed Capes. His performance in the scenes featuring his character were incredibly moving. He is dispatched by Ciaron in a quiet forest setting and his pleading and general reaction to his fate provides the film with perhaps it's most unsettling moment and as a result is very hard to watch.
In terms of the production itself, one got the feeling that the director was trying his best to hide the fact that the film was shot on a micro budget. And in all fairness, he was only partially successful in this task. There were times when one got the feeling that perhaps a little more money could have been spent, but that having been said, I am fully aware that is not always possible within the realms of independent cinema.
As I understand it 'The Pale Man' is the first film from director Paul Phillip Johnson and his talented crew. Based on the evidence presented here, I am sure to he and they can only go from strength to strength. So in closing, not a perfect film, but as a first attempt it should certainly be commended.
The performances also are fairly strong, Darren A. Furniss is brilliant as Ciaron, a man who says very little but let's his actions do the talking. I was really impressed how, despite his lack of dialogue, Furniss still managed to convey the sense of hurt and emptiness experienced by his character. Other stand-outs included Phillp Allen-Taylor as Bedford, a man caught between what he knows is right and what he has to do to survive. Matthew Morrissey as Danny also impressed. His cowardly crime lord really came across as a man who is clearly out of his depth. Morrissey brilliantly conveyed this, especially during a scene in which he finally realises the consequence of his actions. He stands alone in a toilet cubicle and realising that he has failed to halt Ciaron's rampage, begins to fall apart. It really hits home as one of the film's strongest, emotional moments and serves to lift 'The Pale Man' from it's simple, revenge thriller trappings. And speaking of strong, emotional moments, special mention has to go to Ed Capes. His performance in the scenes featuring his character were incredibly moving. He is dispatched by Ciaron in a quiet forest setting and his pleading and general reaction to his fate provides the film with perhaps it's most unsettling moment and as a result is very hard to watch.
In terms of the production itself, one got the feeling that the director was trying his best to hide the fact that the film was shot on a micro budget. And in all fairness, he was only partially successful in this task. There were times when one got the feeling that perhaps a little more money could have been spent, but that having been said, I am fully aware that is not always possible within the realms of independent cinema.
As I understand it 'The Pale Man' is the first film from director Paul Phillip Johnson and his talented crew. Based on the evidence presented here, I am sure to he and they can only go from strength to strength. So in closing, not a perfect film, but as a first attempt it should certainly be commended.
