|
 f
there's one thing that stands out about Thomas
Ikimi's first feature film "Limbo", it's
that despite of (or perhaps because of?) being
shot on digital black and white video, this is one
impressive looking film. Ikimi clearly has a good
eye for frame composition, and there's an innate
intelligence on the screen and laudable ambition
behind the script that you just don't see a lot in
low-budget independent films. Purportedly made for
under $10,000, "Limbo" makes a fine
first feature, even if it does get a bit ponderous
at times, and the middle is not quite as sharp as
the rest of the film.
Christopher Russo stars as
the improbably named Adam Moses, a lawyer with a
shady past who comes into possession of
incriminating evidence against a crime boss. When
the Mafioso's attempts to pay for said evidence is
spurned, the service of a notorious assassin who
never misses is called for. Lured to a city
rooftop, Adam is subsequently shot, but death
doesn't come. Instead, our man wakes up from the
assassination attempt, unharmed, and for reasons
unknown, finds himself stuck in a seemingly
endless loop that repeats itself every hour,
leaving only Adam to remember the hour previous.
Although the world continues
on, resetting every hour, Adam remembers
everything that has transpired. His only clue is
the attempt on his life, which sends him in search
of answers. Adam believes that the answers lie in
his capturing of the elusive assassin. Or does it?
Is Adam dead, and somehow existing only in limbo,
trapped between Heaven and Hell? If that's the
case, why does a woman named Rebecca (Etya Dudko),
who Adam first meets in a bar, also seems to be
stuck in limbo as he?
For much of its first hour,
and despite occurrences of a fantastical element
like a time loop, "Limbo" is fashioned
very much like an old fashion detective story, the
noir qualities of those old stories made even more
obvious by the black and white. It's only later on
when, in a spurt of manic anger, Adam kills a
homeless man, that the film takes on more overt
philosophical intentions. And because
"Limbo" (purposely) has none of the
whimsical of the similarly themed "Groundhog
Day", Adam's actions do not involve hitting
on the pretty girl in hopes of getting laid, but
rather trying to keep himself from continually
killing that mugger who keeps trying to mug him,
or harming that prostitute who refuses to
"just talk".
God, religion, the nature of
man's free will, and what one should or should not
do if there were no consequence to his actions,
all come to the fore before all is said and done.
These are, without a doubt, pretty heady topics,
and Ikimi certainly knows more than his share of
Philosophy 101. "Limbo" is indeed a very
intellectual film, and if one were uninterested in
the subject, one might be inclined to calling
Ikimi and his movie overly pretentious. Then
again, the fact that the film knows its subject
very well would seem to indicate that
"Limbo" is very much a heartfelt
approach to, as well as a genuine attempt to
explore, the subject matter at hand.
A major plus for
"Limbo" is leading man Christopher
Russo, who carries the entire film from beginning
to end like a champ. Russo is a fine actor, and to
watch the character slowly unravel from a man who
thought he had left his checkered past behind to a
man who slowly comes to embrace what he once was,
you can't help but wonder why this guy hasn't done
anything major yet. Less successful are the rest
of the cast, but because Ikimi's script is so
Adam-centric, this isn't an insult. Etya Dudko has
little to do as Rebecca. Likewise with John Holt,
as a stranger who seems to know what's going on,
or perhaps he's just crazy.
Another sign of
"Limbo's" success is that you wouldn't
know the film was low-budget if nobody told you.
It is that visually impressive, not an easy feat
considering the digital video format, which has
never been all that kind to visually-inclined
filmmaking. Ikimi and company have a fantastic
understanding of cinematic aesthetics, and take
every natural advantage supplied by the choice to
use black and white. Despite some slow spots in
the middle, it's startling how good
"Limbo" is, especially for a first
feature shot on a meager budget. Mark Thomas Ikimi
as a filmmaker to watch.
|
