Angels Crest, the new mystery thriller from Magnolia Pictures, is a gripping drama that tries hard to be something it's not. It tries to be a great slice of life thriller, but instead it gets swallowed up by the plot holes that dot this movie like so much cinematic Swiss Cheese.
Say hello to Ethan (Thomas Dekker), a blue collar single dad, living in a run-down garage and taking care of his three-year-old son Nate. They reside in the scenic (think Twin Peaks with lots of snow) town of Angels Crest. It's winter and when the snow starts piling up young Nate wants to build a snowman.
Simple enough, right? All Ethan has to do is bundle up the boy and take him outside for five minutes of frigid fun. Instead of building a backyard Frosty, he DRIVES HIM UP IN THE MOUNTAINS (can you smell plot hole?) to build a snowman. By the time they get to the scenic site, little Nate's asleep. That's when parent-of-the-year Ethan hops out of the rusty pickup, locks the doors behind him, and follows some deer he sees frolicking in the snow.
When he returns (you guessed it), little Nate is nowhere to be seen. Does Ethan a) Start shouting Nate's name and follow his tiny tracks in the waist-deep snow; b) Get on his cell phone and call 911; or, c) Go apeshi* and run around like a lunatic on acid. If you chose (c), congratulations! You probably know where the story goes from here without watching any more.
No spoiler alert is required to tell you the story takes a tragic turn. Enter mountain-man district attorney Jeremy Piven who announces he's to going prosecute Ethan for negligence. The arrest pits the small town against the lawman and soon everyone's choosing sides.
Piven's got an ax to grind. He's a man who lost a child (we think, because it's never explained) and he just wants justice served. The colorful townsfolk are conflicted on Ethan's involvement and are straight out of Central Casting. We have the saucy waitress (Mira Sorvino), the lesbian couple (Kate Walsh and Elizabeth McGovern) and the alcoholic ex-wife (Lynn Collins) all adding their quirky contributions to what passes for a plot.
Director Gaby Dellal does her best to plug the holes in this celluloid sieve, but it's like trying to fill the Grand Canyon with a VW. It ain't gonna happen. Mercifully, she sews up what remains of the threadbare story with a neat Hollywood ending in 93 minutes.
Angels Crest isn't the worst movie you'll ever rent (that would be Tree of Life) but it will leave you wishing for more - more story, more credibility, more sense. Instead of a great mystery/drama, it leaves you emptier than the myriad plot holes that fill every frame.
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