Patterson's Wager (2015) Reviews

• This is the type of film you wish came along more often.

  lmahayni2015-10-01

  There are so many reasons to see this movie, that you should stop reading and spend your time seeing it, but here are a few of the reasons that spring to mind: #1 - The story is charming and surprising without resorting to shock and gore. #2 - The performances are engaging and precise, none of that indie schmaltz. #3 - The cast – all wonderful – is peppered with actors you might recognize from your sci-fi or comedy favorites on TV. #4 - The film itself has been expertly produced and edited, so you won't feel like you're supporting someone's backyard theater company. #5 - The Visual Effects are stunning. This isn't canned fire and smoke from a __phone app! #6 - It's not crass. You can take your kids and your grandparents and you'll all enjoy it. #7 - I have it from a reliable source – I met the director and co-producer at a film festival – that the film was shot in 12 DAYS! Yes, 12 DAYS!!! You wouldn't know it by watching the film. That's what real filmmaking is about and it's worth seeing the amazing results! If that's not enough to convince you, think about how often you attend a small film festival and grind your teeth through some sloppily put together horror, feeling like you got charged to be a seat warmer. Well, that's not going to happen with this film. This is exactly the type of film you should go to festivals to see, because you may not get a chance to see it elsewhere and it's the kind of independent film you want to support. Here is more of a brief synopsis-type review: The story starts with Charles (Fred Ewanuick) discovering he has a strange gift that he must learn to manage or embrace or both. His girlfriend, Audrey (Chelah Horsdal), helps him try to make sense of it all. Sounds simple enough. Nope! As the story unfolds, Charles' new found talent brings other things into perspective that you wouldn't expect.