REVIEW - GRACELAND

It doesn't take a large budget and a lot of ambition to make standard-issue gritty ransom thrillers, but Graceland gives the opposite impression. Not that it looks or feels cheap, indeed there is nothing ostensibly awry with this Filipino film, which follows a desperate driver for a politician as he becomes embroiled in dangerous affairs relating to his boss, and which come to threaten his daughter. Sadly, it's just that Graceland's shortcomings emphasise its small scale, and hew it a little close to appearing amateurish at times. In the immediate moment, Ron Morales is not unskilled, and he orchestrates many scenes with some aplomb. On the whole, though, the limited scope (focus is rarely diverted from the central character), and Morales' economical approach prevent the film from achieving the degree of catharsis it seeks. There ought to be a gradual escalation of tension and emotion, but Morales shows all his cards too early, and leaves us in apathetic expectation of what will occur, rather than fervid anticipation. And what ought to be an oppressive sensation of grimness, in this impoverished life, coloured in damp tones of grey and brown, where even the hero is an accessory to loathsome crime, is stunted by an artistic aversion to this - Morales seems to want to make something towering, and competent on a major-league level, but the means are simply not there. In this regard, Graceland's indie characteristics are most apparent, in the attempt to betray them. Talented actors lift the film considerably, lending hints of the gravitas which the whole enterprise should be steeped in, and Arnold Reyes makes a compelling, sympathetic lead. Technical facets are nondescript.