directed by:
Jason Mullis written by: Jason Mullis genre: Drama |
Sometimes you just gotta stick with it. No lie, I felt like I was getting a bit more than restless as “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” started up, and it took a while to figure out if that was on me. You know how sometimes you put on a movie and you feel like it might not be the right genre for the mood you’re in? I honestly wasn’t sure if that was the case, because I’m generally always interested in Dramas – so I stuck with it, knowing that I can always outrun a slow beginning and that I appreciate great story building. We’re all way too accustomed to the whole flash-bang beginnings that movies try to sell us on these days, but the reality is that more often than not, packing the intensity upfront into a movie doesn’t automatically equate to a film of substance. In fact, a front-loaded movie can quite often be a tell-tale sign that you’re watching something more surface-level overall. I don’t mind being patient while a good story unfolds – there’s a real art to pacing.
That being said, I’m pretty sure it’ll take at least a minute or two for “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” to catch most people’s interest, not just my own. It does take time for Writer/Director Jason Mullis to really establish the direction he’s going to take his movie, but make no mistake, he will eventually pick a lane and get this film moving forward in a way that’ll keep you engaged. As we meet Abbie (Ingrid Alli) and see her struggle at first, we haven’t quite gotten enough backstory or details about who she is to make that necessary connection to her character - so that we care about her circumstances, but again, this changes soon enough. Essentially, once the first main twist of the plotline kicks in, where Abbie discovers that she’s been adopted, “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” takes an impressive leap forward and starts to generate interest as we begin to also piece together the puzzle of this story in a way we can comprehend. “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” quickly becomes a compelling tale of the past versus the present as Abbie decides to search for the story behind her adoption. For those of you out there who haven’t had much experience with this subject, you’re likely to find this fascinating and much more challenging than you might at first assume. Think of it like this – any person in this situation is about to confront Schrodinger’s Cat and/or the Pandora’s Box it might come in. It makes total sense that anyone in Abbie’s situation would want to know the full story – but once you know, you know. What if the end of the mystery resulted in finding parents who were leaders of a cult, or they were criminals, or they accidentally killed a kid walking in a crosswalk – you just don’t know! And once you open that box, no matter what the case might be, there’s no going back from learning what you discover. “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” allows us to travel with Abbie down a series of extremely tough decision-making and emotional turmoil, while we consider whether or not we’d make similar choices if we were in her situation. Would you be able to show enough restraint in containing your excitement if you knew you had the chance to meet your birth parents after so long? Abbie’s well into adulthood by the time we meet her, yet she snaps right into a childlike sense of wonder after she gets over the shock of learning she was adopted. And yes, she turns into a bit of a stalker for a minute or two, if only in her mind – because how could you not, right? Sure, you might learn your parents were serial killers, but the odds have gotta be in your favour that they’re just normal people – so mentally, it only makes sense that Abbie and people just like her would be much more willing to assume everything will work out just fine. All they’ve gotta do is meet, and things will work out – wouldn’t that be what you would tell yourself, too? Where Mullis really starts to show us his genius is how he’ll go on to blur the lines between what is and what isn’t real as “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” plays on. Does Abbie really pass her mom at a café? Does Abbie end up seeing her father in his garage? Does Abbie actually steal garbage in order to help her determine DNA? She’s having an incredibly tough time sticking to the guidance she’s been given by the agency she’s working with - as she tries to uncover the mystery of how she became who she is today, and we start to really understand the psychological toll it would take on a person as they try to figure it all out. Especially a person like Abbie, who seems like she pretty much had it together when we first met her in this story. She’s unravelling, and honestly, who could blame her? This would be extremely hard. You’d probably be tempted to break a few rules yourself if it meant you could get a few answers.
I have a little bit of personal experience with this, as my own stepmother once went down this very path that Abbie is on. No matter what the results might be, there’s no getting past the reality that in finding the answers you’re looking for, you’re still bound to open up old wounds, pain, and trauma from the past. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it – again, I can tell you from experience that witnessing my stepmom reconnect with her birth parents was amazing, and while they have a somewhat enduring friendship to this day, it was never really about barging into someone’s life so much as it’s about finding a way to some kind of closure for what occurred in the past. “It’s going to be emotionally fulfilling,” as Abbie is reminded before meeting her birth mother, but she’s also warned about the potential pain and awkwardness that could come along with it. “Myth Of The Ghost Kingdom” does an excellent job of bringing us into Abbie’s world as she balances between what she knows, what she thinks she knows, and what she doesn’t know anything about at all. Mullis brilliantly goes on to dive deeper into each role as Abbie is forced to confront the different stages of readiness that would occur under such circumstances. To sum it up fairly vaguely without giving everything away – none of this was ever going to be easy. True closure comes in a variety of ways, and they’re not all great! Some closure comes from our own choices, and some is imposed upon us whether we like it or not. I thought that Katrinah Caroll Lewis did an outstanding job playing Tracy, trying to assist Abbie in finding the answers she’s so desperately seeking. Hamilton Sage also did an excellent job as the supportive new boyfriend John, and you‘ll see some excellent scenes with his own mother, Helen (Tricia Hawn), as you watch this film. The supporting cast did a stellar job with the material overall, but it really is the work of Ingrid Alli that steals the show. As good of a job as Mullis has done with both his writing and direction, without genuine star talent like what Alli brings to each and every scene she’s in, you have to almost wonder if the story of Abbie could have connected half as much. Thankfully, Alli took this role – and Ingrid became Abbie from head to toe – to the point where even her own mother might not have recognized her. That’s how immersed Ingrid became in this story and how invested she was with her character – she’s an A-list star in the making. So look…sure…I’m still gonna stand behind the beginning rolling out a little slowly, but there’s really not a whole lot else to complain about as it continues and the story finds its legs. The ending is superbly satisfying, and the emotional twists & turns we endure with Abbie along the way show that Mullis can be mighty with his pen. At the end of the day, this is a Drama…too much flash would only get in the way, so I appreciated Jason’s professional approach. This is about the characters & about the story – and Jason made the right moves to bring all that out. Ingrid was the real cherry on top – and on the strength of her performance, I’m giving this four outta five stars. |
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