TOO LATE (2015)

Written & Directed By: Dennis Hauck 
Cinematography By: Bill Fernandez 
Editor: David Heinz 


Cast: John Hawkes, Jeff Fahey, Robert Forester, Natalie Zea, Dash Mihok, Joanna Cassidy, Crystal Reed, Rider Strong, Diechan Lachman, Sydney Tamiia Poitier 


Explores the tangled relationship between a troubled private investigator and the missing woman he's hired to help find.

What I love in particular about this film other than a broken lead character. Is how it paints Los Angeles as an odyssey. So much land to cover and so many adventures to get lost in you can barely contain anything. This modern day throwback to 70’s noir. Is in fact a neo noir, with many stories that seem like lost chapters that come together to fulfill a whole story and destiny. That ultimately become a valentine. As the film is non-linear we see actions and are filled in later on when it happened and certain motivations. The film also always has a roving camera with breathtaking framing, angles and general camerawork in 35mm that makes each shot look like a masterpiece work of art.

John Hawkes comes off here as a charasmatic yet troubled character who Is an original yet reminds you of a Harry Dean Stanton type character. A sad sack yet a content one. That remains a dyslexic romantic at heart. With individual single location scenes that build up the film and the action.

The film will remind one of the movie THE LIMEY only without knowing it is. Revenge tale from the beginning. The way the film is made might have you watching it again once all the revelations have been made. It plays like a puzzle you aren’t expecting. Where the dialogue is just as memorable and intense as the visuals.

The film seems at first in love with it’s dialogue and characters but uses these conversations to slowly reveal the heart of the characters and reveal the intended actions slowly. Like a card game where you don’t want to reveal your hand too early.

This is the type of tale where be no one has a happy ending though Justice Is served. As we go through an underground of sorts with shady characters where each seems to have a story to tell that is larger then what we see as even the glimpses are riveting.

This films feels special. As they rarely make them like this anymore because maybe most of the time we don’t deserve a movie like this. The film plays like a loner in life that you judge way too easily, but as they reveal themselves and you get a deeper understanding of their actions and behavior. You truly start to see them and develop a bigger picture and sympathy. That causes an emotional attachment.

One can’t say enough good things about this film. While it has it’s moments of indulgence and might favor style quite a few times, but this is the type of film that is a gem and needs to be scene as it certainly is a piece of art without being overwrought with emotion and still feel a brain behind the scenes instead of just passion and pleasing an audience completely.

I can see how this film has certain cliches from indie films particularly from the 1990's which might throw some people off or makes the film seem outdated.


Grade: B+