After surviving cancer, Emily (Sophie Thurling), and her closest friends travel to escape their drab, somewhat depressing realities. However, what they are hoping to escape to, a place of simplicity and relaxation, is not what they find. Instead they find themselves among a group of individuals who operate outside social norms and treat visitors with great disdain. In addition to the difficulties this group now faces with the locals, a supernatural entity, known only as The Faceless Man, terrorizes them as well.
My initial thought going into The Faceless Man, before even watching the opening scene, was that the film feels overcrowded. The synopsis alone makes potential viewers feel that there is too much going on at the same time and that the likelihood of aspects of the plot stepping on one another is high. The sad truth is that all of this comes to fruition quite early in the development of the film. Many of the tertiary characters present throughout The Faceless Man step on each other's toes and drown out what content they are meant to provide for the greater story. I felt overwhelmed at times when conflicting stories played out perpendicular to one another, managing to cut one another off and failing to mesh well enough to entertain viewers.
The main component of the film, the story, is disappointing, leaving The Faceless Man to the wolves and crushing it before it even gets going. However, with that being said, the reality is that there is much to love about the overloaded film; the most intriguing aspect being the soundtrack. With songs ranging from Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5” to more modern, house music such as Neelix’s “Waterfall” The Faceless Man finds ways to entertain viewers with its wide-ranging assortment of melodies. Whether the songs accurately match the tone of the scene in which it is played, or it plays out in ironic fashion, The Faceless Man’s score and soundtrack liven up the film’s somewhat unsophisticated nature.
While the majority of the cast seems to struggle to some degree with accurately conveying emotion and bringing to life their respective characters, the primary group of actors must be commended for all they bring to this project. While The Faceless Man focuses primarily on Thurling’s Emily, her cohorts--Lucas Pittaway (Kyle Jefferies), Sunny S. Walia (Chad Blavinski), Daniel Facciolo (Brad Barns), Lorin Kauffeld (Nina Hancock), and Martin Astifo (Dave Eddison)--with Thurling included, have the ability to create relatable characters that manage to keep viewers somewhat intrigued throughout the course of the film. These six young talents possess great vigor and relate well to one another, solidifying themselves as true up-and-comers in the world of cinema.
The Faceless Man has a lot to offer, including its soundtrack and score, as well as the impeccable acting by the list of aforementioned actors. The Faceless Man even presents viewers with the opportunity to look inward to their own, personal demons and contemplate the realities of their own existence. However, an immensely rocky and confusing road makes it difficult for viewers to appreciate the film as a whole, as they are left feeling worn out and a bit downtrodden by the film’s conclusion. There is something about each plot (because, let’s be honest, there are at least three) that lends itself to good cinema, and, on their own, they may have delivered something more entertaining and cohesive. That says a lot about writer-director James Di Martino, however, and should open viewers’ eyes to the fact that he has the potential to one day make a successful, big-budget Hollywood film. It’s clear that Di Marino possesses the knowledge to create characters (and deep down, stories) that resonate with viewers, and he should be proud that this sentiment reaches his audience through his film. There are facets of this film that are certainly entertaining and have me looking forward to what comes next regarding Di Marino and the talented six that help carry emotion throughout The Faceless Man.
Written & Directed by James Di Martino. Starring Sophie Thurling, Lucas Pittaway, Andy McPhee, Roger Ward, Albert Goikhman, Brendan Bacon, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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