Customer Reviews

Freeze Frame

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This is the second surprisingly good new Irish indie film I've seen lately (the first being the zombie flick Dead Meat). Comedic actor Lee Evans is practically unrecognizable in the lead role and really carries this film. The story is Kafka-esque (imagine the paranoia of being wrongly accused of a grisly murder), the filming is nightmarish, and the suspense is maintained until the ending which becomes convoluted, unsatisfying, and...kinda ridiculous. It's a shame, since so much worked so well early on with trying to figure out just what is motivating Evans' paranoia--his guilt or his innocence.

This is an impressive feature debut from writer-director John Simpson that overcomes the limitations of a low budget with an imaginative premise and stylish filmmaking. Comedian Lee Evans is quite good in a change-of-pace role as a Sean Veil, a man who was once arrested for the grisly murders of a mother and her two daughters. He was eventually released without a conviction, but was so traumatized by his false arrest that he has since taken to relentlessly videotaping his every move 24 hours a day so that he will have an airtight alibi should the police ever suspect him of another murder.

Of course, he eventually does become the suspect in another murder and discovers to his horror that someone has swiped the exact videos from his vast library that would prove his innocence. The rest of the movie covers his attempts to convince the unsympathetic cops that he is indeed innocent and to find out who is trying to set him up.

Through some slick editing that constantly cuts back and forth between human and videocam point-of-views, the movie establishes a kinetic visual sense that keeps us immersed in the protagonist's obsessively skewed world. While there are some obvious plotholes (how does the protagonist make a living when he's so isolated from the rest of the world?), the movie's premise is so cleverly offbeat and brought to life in such a vivid manner that you can't help but run with it. For the first hour this is an involving and original suspense thriller that keeps us guessing as to where it's headed.

Unfortunately, in the last 15 minutes the movie deteriorates into a talky parade of overwrought plot twists that turns laughable in its desperate attempt to tie up all loose ends just a tad too nicely. A more subtle and less contrived finale might have put this one into the same class as "Memento" or "Pi".

Still, "Freeze Frame" is a sometimes haunting and sometimes poignant vision of extreme paranoia in the modern world. While it doesn't quite get under your skin, it does leave a few marks trying to get there.

Sean Veil is the ultimate paranoiac, a man so convinced that everyone is out to get him that he's even begun spying on HIMSELF. However, there is actually a method to his madness, for unlike many paranoiacs, Sean has a valid reason to be fearful and suspicious of those around him. About ten years prior to the time of the story, Sean was falsely arrested for the brutal slaying of a woman and her two young daughters - a crime for which he was eventually acquitted, although the experience has left him emotionally devastated and psychologically damaged. His reputation ruined, Sean has since devised an elaborate system whereby he can videotape himself 24/7, so that he will always have an alibi if someone ever attempts to accuse him again of a crime he didn't commit. Unfortunately, Sean soon discovers that even the latest in modern technology can't guarantee his safety if the forces out to get him can figure out how to beat him at his own game.

This quirky and original Irish film suffers a bit from the constraints of its budget and the amateurishness of some of the performances. Director John Simpson's split screen technique, though intriguing at first, becomes a bit trying after awhile, and the storyline is not always as cleanly and clearly developed as it might be, although the drab, colorless look of the film perfectly reflects the drab, colorless life of its protagonist.

The movie overrides most of its flaws thanks to one element that is the real thing: Lee Evans' searing and uncompromising portrayal of an innocent man driven to the brink of madness by his obsessive need to prove that innocence. With his nervous, soft-spoken demeanor and constant look of terrified submission, Evans makes what could have been a creepy, repulsive character into a thoroughly sympathetic figure. We find ourselves so drawn to his predicament and so involved in his fate that, even at those moments when the movie itself falls flat, we stick with it anyway.

This UK-Ireland film (shot in Ireland) has one of the most stunning visuals and ingenious camerawork I ever seen recently, but the film's convoluted story is so far-fetched and even preposterous, that I started to care less and less about the `truths' behind the mystery, and wanted to know more about the strange lifestyle of the wrongly (?) accused hero played by Lee Evans. Yes, it is Lee Evans, best known as stand-up comic.

Lee Evans is cast against type and does a serious role, and provides a surprisingly strong performance as Sean Veil, who was once accused of the brutal murders of a mother and two daughters. After being nearly convicted, Sean has been traumatized since the scandal that tainted his reputation, and he adapts a new way to defend himself from further possible accusations, shooting the pictures of his own life on video around the clock. He literally keeps taping his life every minute, even when he is outside his tightly-guarded dungeon-like flats.

After leading his life for ten years in this way, tormented by paranoia, Sean becomes a suspect for another murder case again. Sean must confront the same detective who arrested him ten years ago, and the same profiler who still believes firmly that Sean is the killer of the unsolved murders.

The film's story is initially intriguing with the striking visual flair effectively using CCTV cameras. But the story about the lonely life of the obsessive hero soon gets lost among the narrative confusion and impossible motives and behaviors of the characters, leaving us with too many questions that would not be answered. In the latter half the film gets too busy showing twists and turns, which are too many to most of us, and these overwritten mysteries finally make the eccentric behaviors of central character Sean look more risible than understandable.

Lee Evans who actually shaved his head and eyebrows, gives a credible portrait of the one who is driven to paranoia, and the first-time director John Simpson shows stylish camera work, but the overcooked scenario becomes rather silly especially in the last chapters. It is a shame that `Freeze Frame' fails to live up to its potentially intriguing story about paranoia and the talent of Lee Evans.

In Freeze Frame, British comic Lee Evans plays Sean Vail, a man wrongly accused of killing two young girls and their mother ten years earlier. The prosecution's case fell apart when they were accused of contriving evidence and since then, Sean has lived under a cloud of paranoia. Living in what looks like a rundown manufacturing plant, Sean has set up over 90 video cameras to record his every move, at all times, to protect him against any accusations in the future. When he leaves his own, he has one of those strap on cameras that records himself as well. He has a vault where he stores thousands of video tapes, each labeled by date and location. Sean is one meticulous buy!

The Cops headed by Detective Emeric and Forensic profiler Saul Seger still believe that Vail is the murderer and hound him at every chance. When Sean Confronts Seger over a book Seger wrote he comes into contact with newspaper reporter Katie Carter who says she believes Sean's story and wants to interview him. The cops arrive and break into Sean's home, accusing him of another murder. When Sean goes to locate the tapes for the date in question, Sean finds them missing and has to flee. Sean now finds himself on the run and having to play detective to untangle the complex plot and find out who is framing him...or is Sean perhaps insane, and killing without his own knowledge?

Freeze Frame is a gritty, grimy thriller. Set mostly in the confines of Sean's dingy, industrial home with washed out colors, director John Simpson captures a very dark, and claustrophobic atmosphere. Each of the major characters have secrets to hide and it's hard to even cheer for the paranoid delusional Sean, despite his protests that he's not paranoid. I'm not really familiar with Mr. Evan's comic prowess but as a dramatic actor he certainly is quite able, if a bit over the top.

There's a few holes here and there...I'd personally like to know how Sean can afford to keep over 90 cameras in use. The cost of the cameras and monitors aside, the amount spent in batteries and blank tapes alone would be astronomical. But ok, why ruin a good premise by knocking holes in it...

An interesting, different kind of triller relying on strong performances rather than a great plot.

I'm not a fan of remakes, because most of the time Hollywood tries to rehash great material that can't really be improved upon much, if at all. However, I'm not totally anti-remake as certain films are great ideas, and they have their heart in the right place, but they still fall short. Freeze Frame is such a film.

The protagonist, Sean Vail, has become a paranoid recluse obsessed with maintaining a video record of his every moment in life after beating a murder rap 10 years prior. The detective and profiler who had accused him are still convinced of his guilt and it becomes apparent early on that they still have it out for him. The audience, however, is not quickly given insight as to whether or not Sean really killed these people.

Things really kick off when another murder victim is found and Sean is implicated. As stated, he videotapes every moment in his life. In fact he lives in a warehouse full of 90 cameras, and when he leaves he attaches a "self cam" to record where he's been, so he always has an alibi. Unfortunately the tapes that would exonerate him for this second murder are missing from his massive vault, and the games begin.

There are a lot of directions this film could have taken, and at first it does a decent job of teasing the audience and playing with your mind. Did Sean really kill those people? Is this some vast conspiracy? But soon the story succumbs to contrivances, building to a unnecessarily convoluted climax.

Sean's character also doesn't get to develop much. Granted, in this kind of film most of his significant changes would have taken place prior to his initial arrest 10 years ago. Nonetheless, he has several "almost" moments, where you think he might snap from all of this pressure, but he doesn't. Instead he waffles from being furious at what he percieves as him being set up, to being whiny and practically helpless, despite his obvious ingenuity. A lot of the time he just takes the abuses instead of really fighting back.

And then, of course, there are many holes in the film logic, not the least of which is how in the hell does he financially maintain all these cameras. This is actually relatively easy to explain, they could have just said he once won a lottery or got it by inheritance or something. Instead they just don't mention it. Most of the holes are of this variety. Stuff that could've been relatively easily fixed, but instead were just ignored.

Overall, this is a decent time filler with some good performances, a good premise, and even a very good look to it (it hardly looks low budget). Unfortunately the execution, particularly in the story department, is significantly lacking.

I thought this was a good film, although I agree that it is a slow starter. I think it is worth viewing for Evans performance alone. We are so used to his self proclaimed 'monkey man' antics and this is such a departure from that 'role' for him. It has an OK ending and the premise is quite good although not brilliantly executed. I'd say it's worth a viewing and being your own judge.

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The many years going through life with a camera on at all times seems a little far out.

A dark, disturbed paranoiac's nightmare, 'Freeze Frame' follows the life of Sean Veil, a man wrongfully accused of murder who has spent the last ten years of his life videotaping every moment, to provide himself an alibi when the people who tried to frame him inevitably attempt again. When the police arrest him for the 5 year old murder of a recently discovered body, he finds the tapes from the day in question are missing. A flight from the law- and a quest for truth begin... Featuring a wonderful performance from Lee Evans as Veil, vulnerable, confused, and frazzled; and some nice twists and turns, this film will thrill.

Despite the macabre/insane premise of this film, I have to say that I found it hilarious in parts. The satirical part of it will escape many and understandably so; the performance by Lee Evans gives the impression of a person who is no longer human at all but a hunted, wounded animal careening around and looking for an exoneration that won't matter in the end, and does it agonizingly well.

To enjoy this you have to throw out all realism: how the hell would Veil even be able to afford all this technology, if he's just some regular guy who gets accused of murder? The terrifying paranoia of the entire thing
is brought home with a delivery that transcends realism--the atmosphere of subjective strangulation is at times palpable.

The ending is sort of disappointing but in some ways exactly what you wouldn't expect--all this twisting and bending of events for a benign (or as benign as it can be in the circumstances) conclusion?

I chuckle even thinking about this movie. A novel, unique exercise in what the powers that can inflict on someone.