-Written by Bryan Miller.
43 Degrees North tells the story of Raphael, played by Derek Kingsley, a supposedly famous writer who secludes himself off in a picturesque cabin after the tragic death of his wife. Mysterious things happen. Other worldly things happen and….uh….there's a sentient ball named Cliff.
Okay, let’s begin with what’s good.
The movie looks fabulous.
Director Eric Norcross (who takes on many roles within this production including writer and cinematographer) has a tremendous feel for the landscape in 43 Degrees North. He truly takes every advantage of his surroundings in order to set up his scenes with absolutely stunning backgrounds and foregrounds. Though sometimes this may be entirely too much of a focus, it still makes for breathtaking visuals. He has a love for the location of the movie and it shows.
I really thought this was an interesting concept. It is not unlike most of the films of my youth. A lost individual finding comfort and friendship in an unlikely being. It’s not a new story, but it is a tried and true one, nonetheless.
Okay, so, what did not work?
Though they gave admirable attempts, the acting in this film is just not genuine. This may be in part because the actors simply do not have the range, or because of the dialogue, which I will get to in a bit. I just never connected with any individual in 43 Degrees North. Even when there are clear attempts at character development, it just does not work.
The writing in his film is incredibly clunky. No one I have ever met talks like the people in this movie. It is as if Norcross does not know how to properly convey how normal humans, feeling a normal human emotion, would respond to different situations. Their conversations are overly articulate. Every character seems to have some form of deep understanding and beliefs on all aspects of religion and the universe. Everyone talks exactly the same and it is utterly frustrating that no one seems to be human apart from the sentient ball. Even if we take out the dialogue, the way in which the characters in this movie react to situations does not seem real. I do not care who you are or what your emotional state is, if an inanimate object inexplicably comes to life, you will not look at it like a puppy who has wandered out of its cage. But it is not just one time. It is constant throughout 43 Degrees North. Something inexplicable would happen and the characters would react like it was just something that naturally happens.
This movie most definitely does not need to be over two hours long. There are so many ways in which Mr. Norcross could have made 43 Degrees North far shorter, which, in my opinion, would have benefited the movie. He has way too many unnecessary shots and sequences that do nothing but add to the runtime. I do not see any purpose in jumping back and forth between shots of an actor walking away from the camera, and then cutting to the actor walking towards the camera. Over and over again. The character will go on walks at certain points that may be designed to show his loss and seclusion from the world around him, but it feels as if it is just another attempt at showing the skyline or shoreline. The introduction of a villain also holds no real weight throughout the film, except to maybe provide some sense of urgency, but it falls entirely flat. And the dance number (yes, they all dance) did not help either, but that’s all I’ll say about that.
All in all, I truly think there is a good movie here, but it needed someone not so emotionally attached to the material, whether it was during the development of the screenplay or in the editing room, to provide another perspective. I think Norcross has an eye for what makes a shot beautiful, but 43 Degrees North is for no one but him, which is fine, but let me know from the beginning so I don’t spend another two hours watching a movie that is meant for an audience of one…or someone from Portland.
Written & Directed by Eric Norcross.
Starring Derek Kingsley, Denise Carina Shannon, Captain Joe Litchfield, Sharoan Cohen, Zoë Wade, etc.
3 Ba’al’s Out of 10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED
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