Gemini
3/4
Starring: Lola Kirke, Zoe Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee, Nelson Franklin, Reeve Carney
Rated R for Pervasive Language, and a Violent Image
It used to be a mark of shame for a film to be released direct-to-DVD. Not anymore. With the rise of digital film, movies can be made cheaper and can afford to take greater risks. One called "The Endless" even made my Top 10 list last year. "Gemini" isn't a great movie, or even an especially good one. But it is what it is. And on that note, I was entertained.
Heather Anderson (Kravitz) is a hot young starlet living in Hollywood. Her best friend is her assistant, Jill LeBeau (Kirke). She's famous enough to get the attention of gossip rags and creepy fans, and can start or halt a movie's production based on her desire to star in a film. But she has decided to pull out of a new movie, which has left some bad blood between her and the people she was working with. After sending Jill to deliver the bad news, she is approached by a fan whose intrusion raises Jill's eyebrows. The next morning, after fixing the mess created by Heather, Jill comes home to find her employer gunned down in her home. Making matters worse is that the lead detective (Cho) finds evidence damning her. Now Jill will have to be smart and solve her friend's murder before she herself is caught. But who did it?
"Gemini" is an understated neo-noir. This isn't a "bruised forearm" movie. There is suspense, but writer/director Aaron Katz keeps it subduded. He's more interested in mood and realism than excitement. To an extent, that's fine, and he finds the right note to keep things low key without making his film inert. His visual style, which is colorful but not obtrusive, is effective in setting the stage and the mood. In a strange way, I was reminded of "Heat" in this regard.
Heather may be the movie star, but this is Jill's movie. In playing the standoffish everygirl, Lola Kirke finds the right note in playing the character. She's content to stay behind the scenes, leaving the cameras for Heather. Kirke has a low-key presence that's perfect for this type of character. We accept her as the person she's playing, but she has the presence to carry a movie. It's a tricky line to balance. Zoe Kravitz is also good as Heather, who has adjusted well to her movie star status. She accepts that thee are positives and negatives to her life, but doesn't let anything slow her down. John Cho manages to be intimidating by playing the role absolutely straight. Detective Ahn isn't quirky or colorful. He just lays down the evidence as he sees it.
As laudable as Katz's desire for realism is, thee are limits to this approach. A movie that's this grounded can only be so suspenseful. Yet, I don't think his goal was to create the next "Seven" or something. He's telling a small movie with a limited scope, and within those parameters, the film works. It's not going to be a movie that everyone will rush out and see, but I can't imagine those who give it a chance actively disliking it. For what it was, I enjoyed it.
Starring: Lola Kirke, Zoe Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee, Nelson Franklin, Reeve Carney
Rated R for Pervasive Language, and a Violent Image
It used to be a mark of shame for a film to be released direct-to-DVD. Not anymore. With the rise of digital film, movies can be made cheaper and can afford to take greater risks. One called "The Endless" even made my Top 10 list last year. "Gemini" isn't a great movie, or even an especially good one. But it is what it is. And on that note, I was entertained.
Heather Anderson (Kravitz) is a hot young starlet living in Hollywood. Her best friend is her assistant, Jill LeBeau (Kirke). She's famous enough to get the attention of gossip rags and creepy fans, and can start or halt a movie's production based on her desire to star in a film. But she has decided to pull out of a new movie, which has left some bad blood between her and the people she was working with. After sending Jill to deliver the bad news, she is approached by a fan whose intrusion raises Jill's eyebrows. The next morning, after fixing the mess created by Heather, Jill comes home to find her employer gunned down in her home. Making matters worse is that the lead detective (Cho) finds evidence damning her. Now Jill will have to be smart and solve her friend's murder before she herself is caught. But who did it?
"Gemini" is an understated neo-noir. This isn't a "bruised forearm" movie. There is suspense, but writer/director Aaron Katz keeps it subduded. He's more interested in mood and realism than excitement. To an extent, that's fine, and he finds the right note to keep things low key without making his film inert. His visual style, which is colorful but not obtrusive, is effective in setting the stage and the mood. In a strange way, I was reminded of "Heat" in this regard.
Heather may be the movie star, but this is Jill's movie. In playing the standoffish everygirl, Lola Kirke finds the right note in playing the character. She's content to stay behind the scenes, leaving the cameras for Heather. Kirke has a low-key presence that's perfect for this type of character. We accept her as the person she's playing, but she has the presence to carry a movie. It's a tricky line to balance. Zoe Kravitz is also good as Heather, who has adjusted well to her movie star status. She accepts that thee are positives and negatives to her life, but doesn't let anything slow her down. John Cho manages to be intimidating by playing the role absolutely straight. Detective Ahn isn't quirky or colorful. He just lays down the evidence as he sees it.
As laudable as Katz's desire for realism is, thee are limits to this approach. A movie that's this grounded can only be so suspenseful. Yet, I don't think his goal was to create the next "Seven" or something. He's telling a small movie with a limited scope, and within those parameters, the film works. It's not going to be a movie that everyone will rush out and see, but I can't imagine those who give it a chance actively disliking it. For what it was, I enjoyed it.
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