Mysteria

I rented this movie from the video store because I noticed Danny Glover was in it. I picked it up trusting I would not be disappointed. It also introduced me to the lovely Meadow Williams. Had I ignored this movie I might not have been made aware of her.

This movie will not "entertain" people in the way most desire a movie to do. It will make you think, then it will make you wonder, "What the heck just happened? What is going on?" About twenty minutes into the movie you won't be certain if you are watching a movie, or a dream.

There were some things that struck me funny. The cab numbered 666 made me smile. Pay attention to the conversation inside the cab.

Then there is the suggestion our main character was murdered, but then we see him at the police station answering questions. Oh, and look for the watch that always shows midnight.

You will encounter a cop that accepts a drink while on duty, and a woman who pays the main characters rent which makes him a main suspect in her murder.

I think once in awhile everyone should watch a movie like this instead of the usual fare that always leaves you with a clear explanation and a nicely wrapped up ending.

In fact, I am chuckling as I write these words knowing someone who watches this movie is going to let out a yell in disgust at the ending. I can almost hear them saying, "That's it? That's the ending? What the hell kind of movie was that?" I actually laughed at the ending knowing it will mess with some people's minds. You might not laugh when its over, but I guarantee it will stir your gray matter.

You need to have a sense of humor and a penchant for mystery to enjoy this movie. If not, don't bother with it.

Mysteria is not an especially good movie. Washed up writer gets somehow involved in a weird mystery and intrigue.

Problem is, the murder suspect has an airtight alibi -- from the murder victim! But no one seems to care. That's how poorly written this is! The film is full of holes like swiss cheese.

That said, it might be worth a peak on a rainy day when you have nothing to do and the internet is down so you can't get to your porn.

The film includes a bunch of washed up or third rates actors in their own right like that racist bigot Danny Glover who can't act himself out of a paper bag. Somehow he thinks that struggling to speak above a whisper is a thespian skill! The film is directed a bit like a film noir, it's a bit reminiscent of Angel Heart, and stylized in a way that's somewhat appealing. Maybe that's what kept me from turning it off, because the story line is poorly written. None of the actor's actions make sense or are believable.

OK. Well, to start with, Mike Rooker, who has p****d me off for DECADES with over-acting, and never quite making it, deserves a supporting Oscar in this. Yes, his script is good, but, at last, HE's good.

BUT

The film is just, I dunno, not quite there. Too clever? Don't get me wrong, I liked it, it left me guessing, but that's just it. The back-story, the narrative in the writer's/director's mind, never quite made it to screen.

I'm left knowing I saw something good, something very good, but somehow, just a little, empty. Unresolved. And I'm not trying to say EVERYTHING should resolve - I mean, hey, I live in the UK - we can't even get the weather right - but.... I liked the film (it's gone from 7 to 8 while I wrote this, and the cinematography, script, acting, are all top notch...)

But then hey. I admired, and was irritated by Mulholland Drive. For similar reasons. Very similar. watch it. Definitely watch it. But don't blame me if you get just a little bit lost when the credits roll.

Aleister Bain (Robert Miano) is a washed up Hollywood screenwriter desperate to finish his script. He becomes the center of a noir investigation into the murder of a prominent politician's wife Lavinia (Meadow Williams). She's a fan who tracks him down for a dinner date. Danny Glover plays the investigator, Martin Landau is the hotel manager, and Billy Zane is the producer.

It's a little noir indie from newbie Lucius C. Kuert. The best thing is the acting talents involved. They are all people who have the parts in them. However this is just so badly made. I almost feel like the washed up hack writer in the movie wrote this tripe. Somebody watched too many black and white noir movies and wrote something for film school. It has nothing interesting or new. They don't do the femme fatale right. Robert Miano has the gruff look but he has nothing else going for him. It moves at a snail's pace and it dies a slow death.

Washed-up former Hollywood screen writing bigshot Aleister Bain (Robert Miano) is living a sad existence in a seedy apartment, trying desperately to finish a script he is months behind on before his agent (Billy Zane) cuts off his funding. The arrival of a beautiful film student (Meadow Williams) coincides with Bain's mixing up with the murder of the wife of a powerful Senator. Two cops (Danny Glover and Michael Rooker) separately try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The cast draws you in to "Mysteria" and the plot keeps you interested. Miano is the star, and ably performs as a beat up, put down has-been who is thrust into a world that seems a perfect match for one of the scripts he was noted for writing in his past. The countless twists that come from arrivals of new characters keep Bain on his booze-soaked feet to find out what his connection is.

"Mysteria"'s supporting cast is strong. Danny Glover whispers his way through hearing Bain's story, while Michael Rooker proves his underrated worth as the tough Captain who has more mystery than he lets on. Meadow Williams is the weak spot, she tends to say her lines as if they were held up behind the camera. Academy Award winner Martin Landau has a couple of funny scenes as Miano's elderly landlord.

Cinematography and design came together strongly to portray the grime of the setting, which was shot in Los Angeles but never said to be where the film took place. Strategic shots of an empty bottle of booze in the foreground while Bain continues his investigation serve as a recurring motif of what the film is making it's main character out to be.

What keeps the film from a better score is a soundtrack that seemed perpetually off track. A large ensemble score didn't match the interior shots of a grimy apartment. The script rambles a bit too often, especially at the beginning, and might lose some viewers who don't get hooked in soon enough to see a far better second act.

Overall, "Mysteria" is an able, interesting low budget thriller that doesn't disappoint but doesn't really thrill, either.