Director Jeffrey Scott Collins, who previously helmed the darkly comical Poor Greg Drowning, has returned to entertain audiences with his second feature, the comedic heist thriller Above the Line. Collins wrote the screenplay alongside Jono Matt, and the end result is a somewhat confusing yet satisfying thriller which makes you think about who really holds true power within Hollywood.
Before the opening title, we are introduced to our mismatched cast of main characters, a ragtag assortment of Hollywood failures who are promised a massive payday by a mysterious client if they can steal the five Best Picture awards from the Los Angeles mansion of sleazy producer Jack Woodrow (Gregg Henry). The group quickly accepted the challenge, and mayhem and hilarity soon ensued. As we learned from a series of flashbacks, each of the group members were personally wronged by Woodrow, with a series of increasingly harrowing flashbacks showing how the abhorrent Woodrow used and mistreated them.
Despite primarily being a comedy, Above the Line still manages to horrify its viewers at certain moments, and the fact that Woodrow is obviously based on Harvey Weinstein comes as no surprise. Woodrow is someone who absolutely deserves what he has coming, and Henry succeeded in making the character seem as unpleasant as humanly possible.
The actual heist elements are not dwelt on for too long, with the break-in and theft being over fairly quickly. Instead, the plot focuses on an intense game of cat-and-mouse, as it is soon revealed that certain members of the group know more than they are letting on, and the mystery quickly thickens as the question of who orchestrated the heist becomes a major focal point. Although the plot quickly becomes confusing and difficult to follow as numerous twists and turns are soon introduced, attentive viewers will still enjoy all the surprises offered by the baffling revelations, and few will foresee the highly unexpected outcome. And the Christmas setting seemed oddly appropriate, as the season of giving seems like the right time for people to rightly take what is theirs.
The group of thieves who carried out the heist include Ghost (Reno Wilson), a slighted screenwriter with bizarre conceptual ideas which somehow manage to work, Dylan Playfair and Jackson and Cowboy and Spaceman, two siblings who are desperately searching for their big Hollywood break, and Sophia Ali as Princess, who Woodrow also caused to suffer greatly. John Way also appears as the mysterious Hero, who seems to be more involved than he initially lets on, and Adhir Kalyan plays Officer Dalton, a police officer who just might be an impersonator. The actors all managed to capture the desperation their characters feel to succeed in the industry, and their righteous loathing towards Woodrow, making viewers become even more invested in the success of the heist.
The comedic tone of the script also guaranteed that there was plenty of hilarious banter between the cast, with a number of witty and sometimes downright absurdly amusing lines making sure that audiences will smile at all the right moments. And producer and comedian Cedric the Entertainer, who provided a voiceover for Poor Greg Drowning, makes a memorable cameo appearance as a podiatrist (foot doctor) who is abruptly forced to perform a very different kind of surgery.
Some viewers might find it to be hard to follow, but those who are undeterred by twists and turns will no doubt be impressed by this tale of righteous justice in a town where everything is so fake that it can be hard to see who people really are. Collins clearly knows that showbusiness is not for the faint of heart, and Above the Line reminds us of how much of a cut-throat industry Hollywood really can be, while also showcasing the lengths that people can go to in order to correct the wrongs which they have suffered.
And anyone with firsthand experience of how unforgiving the moviemaking industry can be, will no doubt be impressed by the unyielding depiction of the inner workings of Hollywood depicted in Above the Line, with the film presenting a brutally honest, but still highly comedic, examination of a business which too many people find themselves yearning for. It may not be to everyone’s tastes, but Above the Line still proved to be a thoughtful comedy which really will make you question if the Hollywood lifestyle is truly desirable, or if it should remain as nothing more than an unattainable dream.
David Gelmini
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Trailer:
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