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Overall Rating : 7.5/10
Directed By : Christopher R. Witherspoon
Audrey Walker
Rick Crawford
Chris Witherspoon
Supplied By : Big Screen Ventures L.L.C.
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : January. 25, 2012
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| PLOT In RAGE, a man unknowingly provokes the wrath of a dark, mysterious, homicidal motorcyclist and must fight for his very life in a deadly battle of cat and mouse. | ||||
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| THE REVIEW Director Christopher R. Witherspoon's RAGE begins just before aspiring writer, Dennis Twist leaves behind his wife, Crystal, at their home just outside of Portland to supposedly do some shopping downtown. Well, at least, that's what he tells his wife. Dennis is actually going down town to meet up with his mistress Dana, to inform her that he's breaking things off, due to the love that he has for. Before he reaches his destination however, he has a small run in with a motorcyclist, that results in a minor dispute over a parking lot, It is something that Dennis initially blows off as being no big deal, but little did he know that in the mind of the mysterious motorcyclist, it would mean a whole lot more. Shortly after his meeting with Dana, Dennis would soon meet up with the enraged motorcyclist again, only this time under more psychical circumstances, initially it seems to be just a routine coincidental meeting at a red light, but the situation escalates when the helmeted mystery man violently keys Dennis' car. Dennis does his best to track the offender down, but it seems as though the motorcyclist has better look in finding Dennis. Eventually, the two motorists find themselves engaged in a tight game of "cat and mouse", with each altercation being all the more violent. These days, I review a wide variety of films, but as I have always said, I get the most joy out of reviewing, when a well made independent feature comes my way. When Writer, Director, Cinematographer, etc. Christopher R. Witherspoon contacted me about reviewing, this, his feature film, RAGE, honestly, I had yet to hear of it. But let me be candid in saying that I am sure glad that I agreed to take a look at this, then unheard of indie. In his email, Witherspoon explained the film as ,being "in the vein of Steven Spielberg's 1971 debut, DUEL". Well, to tell the truth, he had me right then and there with the mention of the classic road shocker. Although it has been a little while seen I have last seen it, I am a big fan of DUEL. It is one of those films that has very little dialogue, yet is able to tell a potent story just on suspense alone. In the case of RAGE, it shows its obvious inspiration through it's story structure and characterization. We have the same setup, a main character who finds himself crossing the line with a stranger, resulting in a deadly game of "mano-a-mano" on the road. Witherspoon's overall execution of the "Cat and Mouse" game at the forefront of his story is both effective and tense, and gives the viewer a feeling of increasing suspense as it mounts. With each altercation between Dennis and the motorcyclist, the suspense tends to grow more and more intense. The other day while prepping for this review, I happened to notice one person's comment of the film's Youtube account. In what they called "constructive criticism", they simply said that the the film, "Doesn't look scary". Well, I have news for that person, nothing is scary in Horror anymore, but then again, RAGE isn't what i'd consider to be "Horror" anyway, well, at least in the common sense. RAGE is more of a psychological thriller, and the goal that these types of films have to try and succeed in "reeling in" a viewer. And with that said, RAGE is a film that does just that. Not only does the film look good, its story slowly creeps up on us in a way that intrigues the viewer, while keeping them looking on, waiting for the killers next move. For the most part, RAGE is a excellent low budget effort that remains strong for most of its run time. The film does lose a little steam once the action leaves the road, entering the Twist household, however, these particular moments still remain quite sharp in their execution. The big complaint that I have with the film is in fact its ending. It happens to be one of those endings that just did click with me. To me it's pretty ambiguous and flat. But who knows, maybe I just didn't get it and that it went over my head? Other than the moments mentioned, as well as the film's ending however, Christoper R. Witherspoon's RAGE, regardless of its budgetary restraints, is suspenseful, well made, and most of all, it is extremely enjoyable. |
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| GORE
METER 4.5/10 Things such as a bloody bathroom beating, a slit throat, as well as a chainsaw attack(which is off screen, although lots of blood can be seen). | ||||
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5/10 RAGE has a nice suspenseful score that is both energetic and sharp at all of the appropriate times. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM Christopher R. Witherspoon's RAGE is a really impressive effort. Not only does it stay true to the spirit of those films that it was inspired by, it has a way of grabbing the audience's attention. As a fan of films such as DUEL, RAGE has in it all the things that I look for in a film like this, growing suspense, tension and a menacing killer. Witherspoon's mysterious motorcyclist(which he plays himself), reminded me of the killer from NIGHT SCHOOL and WELCOME TO SPRING BREAK, two other films that I enjoyed, so that just means that RAGE finds itself in good company. If you ever get the chance to see RAGE, please do. Personally I enjoyed RAGE a great deal and I feel that it has great replay value as well. | ||||
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