Feature Film Review

Film Info:
Peter Anderson becomes vigilante superhero “Wannabe” in order to combat the rising tide of crime in his community.

Written By: Alexander Edep,
Michael Kennedy
Directed By: Alexander Edep
Genre: Drama
17 Minutes

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WANNABE ( 2016 )

  "Wannabe" attempts to capture that feeling most of us sometimes get; that feeling of wanting to be more than the sum of our parts. To do some good for no other reason than to do it. A Superhero film for the rest of us. No powers, no bad-ass machines or gadgets, just a sense of right and wrong. Alexander Edep is on the right track even though this is not a terribly original idea. If you're thinking this film sounds a lot like the studio film "Kick-Ass", you're on the right track. It's safe to say however, the high point of this 17 minute short film is the look. This flick has a great visual style, especially for an indie film from a green(er) director. It's true ladies and gents, Alexander Edep is only 17 years old and already more than a few steps above most indie directors. I can safely write that "Wannabe" is easily a "watchable" film, which is more than I can write about many fresh filmmakers first to seventh attempts. Is it perfect? No.
  On the technical level I was quite impressed with this short film. The cinematography looks great and if that weren't enough, it's all been put together in a surprisingly good way. Visually, although not mind blowing, "Wannabe" earns top marks, and I really have no complaints about the audio either. Where a few points are lost, is when pointing out a lot of mechanical, scripted acting. What I call the indie hollows.
  Being an independent film, nobody expects Oscar worthy performances. At times however, "Wannabe" is comparable to watching someone on a podium, who has never addressed in public before. I noticed a lot of moving lips but almost no body movement whatsoever. Talking heads. At times, this illusion vanished... but soon and always returned. I'll be the first to admit that acting is hard. Much harder than one might think. But any kind of motion to add feeling to the deliveries would have been great, and this is where a novice director can really be seen. The hardest part is actually directing the cast, but like most other things, this is a skill that can only be learned by doing. I would love to visit another piece of work from Alexander Edep in the future, just to see how far he's come.
  So although not totally fresh, "Wannabe" is unique enough to be enjoyable. This isn't a film you'll be talking about for years, but it is one that you'll be able to enjoy. As I wrote above, I was completely impressed with many of the technical aspects. Once the rest of the package comes together, I suspect we'll see some great things from Alexander. In the case of "Wannabe", it's free to watch and a great way to kill some time. Maybe get a glimpse into the start of an upcoming filmmaker.
-JT

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