Agent
I’m continually curious about what new directors are doing, what stories they have, how they’re telling them whether it’s indie or super low budget or whatever. Agent The Movie is one of those movies that seems to encapsulate a lot of the good, bad and ugly of a limited budget movie world. I must say I was very impressed with what this movie did even though there were some hiccups along the way. There are points when this action/ alien movie is absolutely breathtaking to look at because of some really great camera work!
We first meet Jim Yung who is definitely having a bad day. He gets fired and rejected by mail from his CIA application all in one morning and on top of that his friend is in town visiting who also happens to be dating his ex girlfriend. Jim (also writer and director Derek Ting) Seth (Eric Keitel) Angela (Jim’s ex Marikah Cunningham) Jim’s ex’s friend Kara (Olivia Hultgren) decide to hire a guide who is a gun expert to take them out into the desert and shoot off some guns. While they’re in the middle of shooting off their practice session around one another, a bullet hits against a rock which causes a strange explosion; mysterious red gas is released. Possession aliens friendship boundary testing follows as they try to figure out if government/military is with or against them.
The film maker does well for himself being also writer and star; Derek Ting directs an efficiently organized film that takes just enough time building plot before action starts happening. Interesting point of views everywhere from actors to overhead shots giving viewer different perspective on things going on around them during these scenes which sometimes isn’t necessary but can be appreciated later when some action begins bogging down becoming repetitive. Additionally he uses desert environment good, creates great tension.
But no doubt about it in my mind Cinematographer Marvin Tam stole show on this one. The movie looks absolutely amazing: crisp colors & lighting with some really cool camera angles! This is one thing that independent film makers sometimes forget, great cinematography is needed to carry the film and it shows here I’m glad someone recognized this when they were making the movie.. It made it look good. Sometimes the ‘look and feel’ of a film can help cover up mistakes, bad dialogue or whatever else might be wrong with it Agent The Movie proves this theory true!
To me, the acting was one of the most inconsistent parts of this film. There were some great moments, like when we can really feel Jim’s frustration and pain at the beginning and when friendships are tested in the desert; however, there are just too many times where the actors are not believable during certain situations. Some responses are delayed in a way that seems like lines were forgotten rather than intentionally paused. Some have no emotion whatsoever when it is desperately needed. That being said though, characters did their job and moved the story along; although the military men were very cliche and that part needed to be re-written or taken out completely.
The story itself didn’t seem complicated, overall it seemed almost too simple in some parts but I think that actually helped because they didn’t have a lot of different things happening at once with only so much time to keep track of them. Also I liked that they didn’t make it all about aliens all the time. It shows how weird and terrible things can mess up friends on so many levels while aliens are just trying to give them a push over an edge which isn’t even aliens anyway here unknown is fun it’s humans who moved this film forward.
I have a lot of respect for what they did with this movie especially visually. It is definitely worth watching despite being imperfect and having some poor acting in places but that does not take away from everything else good about it. I want Derek Ting to use Agent The Movie as a stepping stone onto bigger better things cause he has real talent.
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