Review: Indie drama ‘Blur Circle’ burdened by tragedy and poor choices
“Blur Circle” centers on a pair of broken people whose lives orbit individual tragedies, but the indie drama fails to connect with its audience. Its story of redemption means well, but its good intentions can’t compensate for characters that are often unlikable and unbelievable.
After the disappearance of her young son two years earlier, our sympathies should lie with Jill (Cora Vander Broek). The single mother spends her every moment and every dollar searching for him, repeating her routine each day and preparing for his return. When she meets Burton (Matthew Brumlow), a photographer, she bristles at his unwelcome entrance into her life, but soon discovers that he too possesses a painful past.
Jill and Burton react to their individual sadness in different ways: She’s firmly stuck in the second stage of grief, suspecting everyone and lashing out, while he attempts to help those around him by using his skills with a camera and editing software. Unfortunately, despite some good work from Vander Broek and Brumlow, the script from Brian Elliott and director Christopher J. Hansen allows neither character to make credible choices. It’s impossible to guess what you would do in their awful situations, but their quirky behavior still feels inauthentic, like indie movie posturing, rather than real life.
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‘Blur Circle’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Playing: Arena Cinelounge Sunset, Hollywood
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