Love. Lust. Cheating, betrayal, domestic violence and even, heaven forbid... murder. For more than a few people of the world this is a way of life. Minus the murder part. It's taboo to say, but we all know the truth: It's very easy to fall in love with someone. Even when you're already with another. Scientists say men are hard wired that way and woman, become attached much quicker. That's what they say anyhow. For me, "Hindsight" from writers Meganne Kocher and Michael Davis plays off more like a proverbs quote. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. So it does indeed. Essentially what we have is a case of man cheating. Man attempting to tell wife/girlfriend, followed by woman... well... not taking it so well. All this plays out in around six minutes and, get this, in reverse! It's a common story especially in movies, but sometimes, a familiar tale helps draw a viewer deeper inside. That knowing wink you give when you completely understand what has happened, and why a certain "situation" takes place. Director Michael Davis plays on this and leads the talented cast through the motions. Dialog free. Did I mention that? "Hindsight" contains no talking... that you can hear anyway. Everything is expression reliant and that's just fine. From the opening segment straight through to the closing one, we are treated to an artsy-fartsy flick that delivers much more than I would have thought. All things considered. More on that below. "Hindsight" shows nicely. No doubt about that. Some crisp, clear camera work and a surprisingly pleasant color... which is kind of odd considering the nature of the film, all meld into one quick reverse punch of a flick. I can't really comment on the audio because there isn't any, save an operatic score 'tinking away in the background. The two lead characters perform excellently, considering it's all expression work as I wrote above, and the story, well, again... nothing new but that's really a non-issue for this title. What I was up in the air about was the gimmicky premise to play this story in reverse. To be honest, at first I thought it hurt more than it helped. After the film however, I began to question that belief. There was something hypnotizing about the reversed footage. Something that really keeps your eyes glued to the screen. This could have been compounded with the slow motion but any way you slice it, it was hard to tear my eyes away. Still... it does come across very much as a gimmick, as does the title itself. "Hindsight" doesn't really relate to the story of the film... not really anyway... rather the way it's presented. That just didn't sit right with me. Still doesn't. Don't get me wrong. The style was hypnotizing, the title fits the presentation... and I liked the film. I just can't help but wonder if I would like it more... if it played in normal time. Guess I'll never know and I love the fact that indie film allows the creators to make such decisions. That's part of what makes "indie" indie. In the end, "Hindsight" easily soars past the mediocre mark and is interesting enough to keep you watching straight through to the end. The excellent expression work from the cast, the hypnotic nature of the title and of course, the familiar take on a story all contribute to an entertaining piece. What's even better? This is another freebie for everyone to check out. So why not? What's stopping you? Clocking in at well under ten minutes there's really no excuse.
