You’ve just entered the front doors to St. Sebastian’s Quiet Academy for Disreputable Youth, and you’re likely to see a group of troubled students who are in the process of being reformed. During that reformation process the students are tasked with adhering to a strict schedule, participating in eye-opening skits, and finding ways to come to terms with the fact that their past actions are unacceptable. One young man, Isaac (Bennett Kirschner), seems to find nothing but Trouble during his tenure at St. Sebastian’s, and his world appears to be far more difficult than the others’. As a result, Isaac needs to find a way out.
Trouble was filmed as a senior thesis film at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut–and whether it’s fair or not, my expectations were low as a result of hearing this. This low-budget film doesn’t provide much of a chance for the filmmakers to truly entertain, but rather to showcase their technical abilities and express to the professor (I’m assuming) that they are ready to move on and attempt to find success in the real world. As expected the acting is quite poor. Trouble is full of a series of young, wet-behind-the-ears actors, and their abilities to act leaves a lot to be desired. The acting isn’t a death sentence, however, and it’s clear that writer-director Daniel Witkin (and assistant director Chris McNabb) knows how to reach his intended audience via his technical prowess.
Regardless of the semi-absurdity of the acting, the story is one that is capable of reaching viewers. Whether you’ve been a problem child, worked with a problem child, or simply know one, Trouble has the ability to speak to you. I personally have worked with emotionally disturbed students for more than four years now, and seeing the constant defiance present in Trouble resonates with me, as I see it often and I understand the toll that it takes on both the student and the people close to them (teachers, parents, etc.). This story is honest, and Witkin and McNabb are able to capture the reality of the school in which they are depicting–enticing viewers with any connection to an educational setting of the sort. Relatability in the storytelling can often be the most important aspect of a film–as it is here–and that allows viewers to appreciate what is being done and the overall film.
Lighting plays a key role in Trouble, and as the sets transition from light to dark throughout the course of the film it can be seen how the characters transition with them. Beyond the messages present in the juxtaposition of light and dark, director of cinematography Daniel Nass, is able to effectively capture everything on screen as intended. There was a particular moment toward the end of the film where viewers are able to see the shadows of the characters stand tall, massively, above those characters–and as the tone of the scene shifts, those shadows move in a fashion that mirrors the sentiment present in that scene.
I often cringed at the acting throughout Trouble, but that didn’t ruin the film for me. The technical abilities of everyone involved in making this film are tremendous. As a film student I would be incredibly proud of what I developed here. Trouble is honest, technically sound, and has the ability to reach viewers–and you can’t ask for too much more than that.
Directed by Daniel Witkin & Chris McNabb
Written by Daniel Witkin.
Starring Bennett Kirschner, Max Carpenter, Timothy J. Cox, Chelsea Marino, Khaching Tololyan, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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