Collaborator (2011)

Excellent but underrated film

An action-packed slog

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Robert Longfellow (Martin Donovan) is a playwright who is tired of the NY scene. He's not into living in LA either even thought his family is there. He takes a break in his childhood home with his mom. Gus Williams (David Morse) is the lifelong next door neighbor. He's 57, a drunk, in and out of prison, and still lives with his mom.Both of these actors are well seasoned. I was hoping for a lot more. However this feels like a writing exercise from writer/director Martin Donovan. This does improve when the actors are in the house together. The energy and the tension picks up a bit. I wish there was less time spent on the introduction. It's not really necessary. This movie works best as a 2-man play.

I get the feeling I liked this more than I really ought to have done. Nevertheless I did like it.There was something really pleasing about the lazy tempo, the acting, the sound, and the way it was shot. Even down to the styling of locations and furniture. That shouldn't matter so much but it makes a big difference in *certain* kinds of film for me and this was one. It helps set a mood, whether it's a pretentious office, an affluent LA home, or a parent's suburban home. So I think it's an oft overlooked skill which is done well here.OK so there's no clever plot twists or gimmicks going on here - it really is a very simple tale, but the magic's all in the telling.There is an element of suspense in wondering why they are even in the situation they are in, and how it will end for them. The real juice here is the dialogue and interaction between Morse and Donovan's characters, and lesser so between Donovan and Williams' characters.You feel Donovan's awkward avoidance of Morse transform into over-compensated forced dialogue. You can tell there's something festering under the surface but you're never sure exactly what that is. It's almost like Morse sensed the phony avoidance and when things go South for him, he decides to make some mischief with Donovan on his way out. So you're wrestling with this kind of are they/aren't they on good terms question throughout.Morse's phone call to Williams' actress was very touching - like the last privilege of a condemned man.And then there's an incident which introduces more tension and uncertainty into the dynamic towards the end.I appreciated the different approach to the hunted man character here - throwing caution to the wind and getting wasted. A refreshing change from manic rage or desperation. I think that made it more interesting. No clever chess game of negotiation either.Most of the film felt like watching a play which may have been intentional irony, given Donovan's character's playwright occupation.I had a feeling this movie could be good despite the reviews but still, it was better than I expected. Definitely worth a watch at any rate.All of the acting was good here, but Morse was the best - what a shame he hasn't got more character work in movies. What a waste.

I had the great pleasure of seeing this fine piece of filmmaking on the 2012 Shanghai International Film Festival.Warning: There be some (minor) spoilers below!Synopsis: Playwright-past-his-prime Robert returns home to visit his mother and cope with his own failures in both career and private life. What starts out as a slow re-track of his life's mistakes, takes a unique turn when Gus, neighbor since childhood, comes over for a beer and brings with him a plentiful array of controversies.Review: If you like fast-paced action and explosions - Look elsewhere. Donovan's first try at directing is instead a quiet, yet loud little masterpiece. As the director does not shy away from even most controversial topics, at only 82' run-time there is little overhead.The movie, feeling more like a chamber play, is carried by its strong, realistic dialogues and the two superb protagonists. Both David Morse and Martin Donovan deliver their very best. While having a pretty obvious outcome for the main plot early on, it is the interaction between these two that kept me hooked the entire time. Most of the supporting cast is on par and the close-up and line-up camera-work, which so often fails in other movies, does remarkably well in this one and gives us some great scenes.While addressing its serious topics with respect and subtlety, humorous moments arise often enough, and by the end of the movie we have a vivid and realistic image of two very different and unique, yet with all their faults not unlikeable characters.One of the quiet movies that raises many more questions than it gives answers. Highly recommended – Go see it!9/10

I had the opportunity to see Collaborator at the Newport Beach International Film Festival and the New York City premiere. It's a thrilling movie that takes the viewer on a roller-coaster ride of unexpected turns. From politics, to fidelity, to war, to crime and seeing the explosive interaction between two very opposite individuals there is surely to be some portion of Collaborator which makes you laugh, become angry, and feel empathy towards the characters. A well thought out and executed film with a highly climactic ending that I enjoyed immensely. David Morse's character is executed very well and by the end of the film, I couldn't help but to feel quite sad for the life which he's led. If you have the opportunity, I'd highly recommend it.