FILM INFO: A psychiatrist wakes up tied to a chair in an abandoned warehouse. Left with no food, water or chance of escape, his only weapon is his mind, and he must use it to try and escape.
Yes. There is definitely something here. I'm not totally sure what, but magic does happen when you watch "Fractional" from Malcolm Deegan. The magic present is not in the form of a flawless film, rather the ability of this movie to keep you interested when, essentially, it's two people in a room. For ninety minutes! I could spout on about the excellent acting, or great writing but in reality, that can't be all it is. Can it? No. This is not a flawless film, but we'll get to that later. Picture yourself waking up tied to a chair, surrounded by numerous "tools" that you just know are intended to be used on you. Your only company? A crazy man who seemingly has one thing on his mind. Pain. And not his own. Did I mention he has no mobility issues such as... say... being tied up? This is the basic concept of "Fractional" but it's only the tip of the iceberg. You see reader, this title is not some kind of torture flick akin to say... the "Hostel" series. Sure, there are some beat-downs. Yes, there are some brutal moments, but the heart of this film is the story. The "why" of this terrible situation. You may just find yourself unable to look away, but not totally sure why. It's that "magic" thing I wrote of above. When the story finally begins revealing itself, and the plot twists begin and end, you'll be left feeling strangely calm. I know I was. Everything sinks in and you realize... it's been an hour and a half. Well... things don't go that smoothly... but you get the idea. If not for a few technical issues, this is an indie, low budget film you know, I would have scored this film much... much higher. Those technical issues I spoke of? Let us begin. First off, this is a really long movie. Not so much in the actual run time, rather the amount of time you think has passed. Three stages exist: The movie seems to fly by. Then, you realize there's still so much left, and maybe even groan a little. Then, time flies again for the climax. Realistically, a good ten minutes should have been shaved off. Not so much for the overall length, but rather to remove the elements that seem to drag. A perfect example would be the first six or so minutes. This "intro" sequence could have, and should have, been cut in half. It doesn't take that long to establish, for us viewers, that a man is tied to a chair. It certainly doesn't take that long to establish he is looking for a way out, as he bounces around the room. Compound that with all the visual exposition of our resident baddie, fiddling with this and that... it was just a needlessly long scene. The film was full of this stuff. Just a lot of shots that could have been left out, without harming the story. This would have considerably quickened the overall pacing of the film, while only highlighting the best of the best. I imagine that the editor was also Mr. Deegan and I can't stress this enough: Don't edit your own stuff! As a man who has watched over four hundred indie films I can safely write: It rarely works. As the creator, you simply want to keep everything. Another technical flaw that kept bothering me was a nasty frame-rate/blurring issue. This wasn't always present, but enough to notice and distract. I don't know if it was the camera itself, or an issue when burning the DVD. Either way... it was noticed. Here's where this title shines. The acting. Holy butter on toast ladies and gents, what an excellent job by the cast. Desmond Daly and Peter O'Toole play off of each other perfectly. Let me put it this way, when the majority of a film is two men in a room, they better be darn good actors. Did I mention this film has a certain "magic" to it? A magic that keeps your eyes glued to the screen? The acting is probably why. A perfect job casting, no doubt about that. The supporting characters are also all played amazingly well. I really have nothing bad to write. Overall, excellent job. "Fractional" is a fine film. You really can't argue that point. I was not only pleasantly surprised by this movie, I was hooked. When you hit that play button, and find yourself trapped in a creepy warehouse, alongside two men who quickly shed their "random person" skins, you know you're in for a treat... so to speak. "Fractional" is a dark, entertaining film that has no problem taking you along for a ride. Another great title. Another great indie film. Period.
