Trina (Cat Christmas) is a struggling young woman living in Chicago during the housing crisis, and her passion is poetry. When she dozes off one day, she wakes up during a time in which she’s unfamiliar–but soon a familiar face will cross her path, and she will attempt to understand what this means for her. The Funnel is the story of Trina’s journey into the past and coming to terms with all the things that came before her.
The Funnel uses lighting to help tell its story–but not lighting in a way that viewers might initially see. The lighting is subtle, and as it lingers behind the film’s subject(s) it allows them to soar to the forefront of the film, shine brightly, and be fully understood. The lighting allows viewers to see the characters for what they truly are, both good and bad. The Funnel shines, pun intended, as a result of what Writer-Director Charlene A. Carruthers and the rest of her crew are able to accomplish in regard to the lighting. The Funnel flows and ultimately makes sense as a result of this aspect of the film–and it’s small decisions like this that allow The Funnel to be entertaining from beginning to end.
There are two stories that run parallel to one another throughout the course of The Funnel, even if it doesn’t necessarily appear that way. When one story takes a break the other one picks up, but while Trina sleeps and her story technically still continues, the story of her family’s past runs right alongside it. This may seem like a small piece of the narrative, but seeing how the past and the present align in The Funnel helps viewers to better understand the film’s purpose. It’s clear, through Trina’s vision, that there are LGBTQ undertones present in the film–and seeing and hearing what occurs throughout both pieces of the narrative puzzle that there’s a message being transmitted to viewers. In short, the message tells viewers that love is love, and that no matter what others might think about the many forms that love takes, the reality is that love is acceptable.
The Funnel, even if nothing else were to work, even if nothing else were to appeal to viewers, I believe that this powerful message would have been enough to find the film success. This alone does a wonderful job of intriguing viewers throughout the course of the film–and it’s clear that narratively Carruthers has all the makings of a Hollywood great.
I have some issues with the acting, and there are a series of instances in which the acting fails to present viewers with accurate emotion. However, Christmas finds herself delivering lines with immense passion, and it’s clear from very early in The Funnel that Christmas possesses something valiant in terms of her acting ability. She never misses a beat throughout, even when playing multiple roles; she does such a wonderful job of differentiating between the two characters that there were moments that I forgot it was the same actor. She, along with every other beautiful piece of The Funnel, invigorates viewers throughout.
The Funnel quickly transitions from the present to the past, and a transition like this has the ability to throw viewers off, but that couldn’t be further from the truth in regard to this film. The transition occurs so smoothly that viewers can easily appreciate what is being done. Much like this massive transition in the narrative, the content of The Funnel has the potential to ruffle some feathers along the way–but I think it’s presented to viewers in a way that may just allow the majority to appreciate the film. Carruthers is a fantastic filmmaker who knows how to appeal to viewers, even when the content of her film has the potential to upset some individuals. From beginning to end I was intrigued by The Funnel, and it has the potential to make a big splash at each of its upcoming film festival appearances.
Written & Directed by Charlene A. Carruthers.
Starring Cat Christmas, Vena Howard, Wriply Bennet, Martin Davis, Laketa Caston, Breanna Ghostone, Jelani Smith, & Charlene A. Carruthers.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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