Review for Finale

Finale (2009)

Dir: John Michael Elfers

Film

Touted according to critical notices upon the Press release as a "throwback to the heyday of Mario Bava and Dario Argento", Finale arrives on DVD carrying a rather heavy burden. To be compared to the work of either director is not something I'd wish on any unproven commodity in terms of the pressure it creates. If it manages to deliver something in that ballpark… that's a different story altogether.

In reality though, Finale resembles little of either. For starters, Bava simply wouldn't have stood for such graphic orgy/sex scenes in his prime. while Argento's penchant for, excessive, isolated scenes of suspense with insane lighting, and daring crane shots are typically much more visually impressive than anything here. That's not to say Finale is a bland looking film- indeed it's somewhat disorientating plot allows for several neat flourishes, and a genuine sense of ambition. Does it really recall the Giallo works of the seventies though? Not really. There is no lurid title, tacky but arresting poster, and the themes are clearly more elaborate and supernaturally orientated than the majority of the genre.



Where it does also share a little in common with the Giallo tradition is in the investigative nature of the structure.

The plot concerns the bizarre death of a young man, in what is officially declared as a suicide. Obviously, there's more to it, as we witness some kind of twisted cult behaviour in the opening scenes. His mother, Helen, is convinced that something is at work, and "descends into a vortex of denial and paranoia". She discovers that in his house, black paint had been thrown all over the mirrors and reflective surfaces. Meanwhile, her paranoia and the increasingly bizarre occurrences begin to spiral around the rest of her family, they begin to suspect she has lost the plot. Cue the expected hospital scenes, the doubting husband, and numerous arguments as she poorly tries to explain what the evil forces that will take her daughter actually are.

Finale's strength is arguably in the visual ideas, and occasionally inspired set-piece in the head of the director, John Michael Elfers. A murder that occurs inside a public bathroom is extremely effective, and one of the film's most shocking moments.

At the same time, seemingly in an attempt to cram as much in as possible, there are moments that do not work. The aforementioned orgy looks similar to an x-rated clip excised from The Lost Boys and detracts from the plot. Without spoiling things, there is a required aspect of it in terms of the story, but the execution is a little at odds with the bulk of the movie. The film largely avoids such errors though, and unravels at a fine pace. That said, for me it came off the rails at the end, with too many threads being tied up at one time, in an attempt to manufacture some sort of frenetic excitement. Instead, it's a somewhat flat conclusion. Another problem that manifests, is the odd moment of editing inexperience, where scenes do not flow, or cuts appear a little awkward.. minor technical issues that combined, do unfortunately alienate this viewer.



Several murder scenes are protracted in a manner that Dario Argento would perhaps have deployed, without approaching the visual flair. It should be emphasised that Finale is not an ugly work to look at though. Far from it. While it's obviously low budget, the director has nonetheless, clearly a considerable degree of visual awareness. The opening scenes are superbly handled, with a vicious pay-off, that really helps set the scene for the remainder of the story. It does not quite live up to that standard, but nor does it disgrace either. The manner in which the more nightmarish moments will also recall for many Clive Barker's Hellraiser, and in my opinion, his other work, especially "The Damnation Game" are strong influences. They also provide the film's most frightening moments. Perhaps Elfers should have adhered more closely to this sort of material, and cut down on the supposed Giallo leanings, and particularly on the cult trappings in the early stages of the film.

*I had major issues with my review disc in terms of the picture quality. I would assume these would be corrected in the release version.

Extras

A trailer, and a paltry selection of four detailed scenes don't really constitute a genuine collective of "special features". It's especially disappointing here, because one suspects the director may have quite a bit of to say about the inspirations behind the film. In general, materials surrounding the release of this film are rather scant, and it's a shame.

Conclusion

Elfers film should certainly be applauded for attempting something new, even it though it's uneven, and falls off the rails somewhat in the final act. It benefits enormously from a composed leading performance (from Carolyn Hauk) who provides a really sound basis, and a pretty sympathetic victim to get behind. The other cast aren't quite so good, with a couple of terrible turns really diminishing the believability of key scenes. However the biggest stumbling block is probably the budget itself. Ambition is all well and good, but there's too much going on here to fully realise. Finale is worth a look, even if only once though, for those few moments that Elfers does manage to fully deliver on. I'll be keen to see future release by him…