Whistleblower makes it a point to declare that it is a work of fiction (twice, even - there's another mention during the closing credits). Of course, Filipinos will no doubt recognize the real life inspiration for this particular film. Right off the bat it's an interesting premise; unfortunately the film doesn't do much with the material.
At a very lean 82 minutes, the film feels incomplete. Characters come and go, with some characters existing solely to appear in one scene, never to appear again. Our two main characters, Zeny and Lorna, are the most fleshed out among the cast, but even they suffer from a gross lack of development. Zeny's relationship with her family seems perfunctory and limited to a few phone conversations; and while Lorna's character has some good moments, the script doesn't let her character grow. This culminates in an anti climactic resolution where one of the core moral dilemmas of the film is resolved in its last twenty seconds. We don't see the repercussions of any of the actions taken in this film - the film just decides to end itself and we are left hanging.
Then again, perhaps the goal of the movie is not to shed light on the act of exposing the truth, but rather to shed light on the rotting system itself, where people like Lorna and Zeny are made pawns in a machine of corruption that they are either unwilling or unable to truly escape. To its credit, the film did make me wonder what the hell happened to the real life court case this was based upon. It seems like most of it has been swept under the rug... at least until the upcoming elections are over and done with. But even this interpretation of the film is too gracious, in light of its many problems. Whistleblower is built upon an interesting foundation of ideas, but sadly comes up short when you get to the details.
I'm not going to beat around the bush for this one: I think 10 Cloverfield Lane is great, and it's best watched going in blind. Thanks to superb acting and a tightly scripted plot, it manages to create tension and fear in many creative ways.
While the very small cast (of only three main characters) collectively deserves praise, John Goodman's character practically steals the show. Over the course of the film your perception of his character will change, and Goodman makes it work really well. He manages to inject his imposing character with a bit of humanity, without becoming too weird or silly.
There's a vibe in this film that definitely evokes classic Twilight Zone episodes, in that the core mystery unravels itself in such a way that the payoff at the end feels right, at times chillingly so.
Bear McCreary, whom I know best from his work on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series, does the soundtrack, which feels effective, while at the same time, pays homage to its spiritual predecessors (admittedly limited) score. As most of the movie is shot within an enclosed space, Jeff Cutter's DP work can switch from making the bunker look like an open, welcoming space, to a claustrophobic dungeon.
It makes for effective filmmaking, and it's one of the better films coming out this week.
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