AN ABSOLUTELY incredible film, which makes a complex story fascinating and thoroughly understandable. The director-writer, Alec Carlin, in his first stint as director, effortlessly moves from a hospital setting to flashbacks of the patient's life to imagined tango scenes from the patient's novel--each switch of scene filmed with different colors, cameras and techniques so the audience is never once confused. Although a tad long (necessitated by the analysis of the patient), this movie boasts flawless casting, acting worthy of award nominations and a story that combines mystery with romance. Morris Monk, as Justin Kirk, the novelist-patient, successfully combines threat with innocence. Catherine Kellner, as Dr. Patricia Farrow, the shrink, offers youthful enthusiasm that gradually turns to horror. Claudia Mason, as Raven, the dancer-neighbor, makes the tango the seductive dance it is, while Ely Pouget is perfect as Justin's long-missing mother. Highly recommended. Now why doesn't this memorable film have a distributor?
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born2broadcast11 November 2002
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ianmom00728 June 2002I just saw Outpatient at the Seattle Int'l Film Festival. It's a great mystery; a puzzle. I particularly liked that the story was not spoon fed to the audience. The performances were outstanding and the music and production value were phenomenal. I know that it was shot on 24p and mini DV but it looks like film. My hat's off to the producers. Can't wait to see your next film.
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agentk25 July 2003I had the misfortune of seeing this snoozer at the recent Stony Brook Film Festival In NY. More people left midway through this film than all the others I attended. (FYI, I was at 95% of the films)
From the cheap and misleading ploy of the opening shot to the final resolution, there was nothing to raise this above a mediocre student film.
The plot trudged forward at a glacial pace with scene transitions used mainly to pull the viewer back from the doze they were slipping into. The music was used to soporific effect through repetition, much to the dismay of the audience.
It was poorly acted and muddy. The second tier characters had stonger film presences than the main characters. Raven, the romantic interest and Chuck the Boss were the only memorable performances.
In all, a film to view only if sleep is evading you. Steer clear if you are a fan of Film Noir or suspense films. It will only leave you with an infuriating 2 hour loss from your life. -
kittwarn24 October 2005As a dancer, I can say the dance scenes were well done.....and Justin can really dance - has a great presentation style - along with all his other talents. He is achingly vulnerable in some scenes....angry, confused in others, and he handles it all with aplomb!
At first I thought Raven and his mother were played by the same actress...they have similarities so you could see why he was attracted to Raven.
It is really too bad this film did not get wider exposure; maybe it will find an audience now that it is on DVD. It is a clever story, but there are things you might miss on the first viewing.....which means, watch it again and again! -
elmerpinback23 October 2003this one put me to sleep and i love crime dramas
i thought that they could have made it better if they had tighter direction
i did like the stepfather. he had an evilness that made this not a '1' but a '2' bummer that it couldnt change it from a '9' to a '10'