Onus (UK DVD)
Starring Robert Render, Anthony Boyle, Vivian Jamison, Caroline Burns Cooke
Directed by George Clarke
Distributed by Left Films
Kicking off with a Saw-like turn, George Clarke’s intimate indie flick Onus sees teen Kieran (Boyle) awaken in a secluded forest, chained at the wrist to middle-aged professional Mr. Andrews (Render). In his other hand is a gun – duct-taped into place like some Videodrome-referencing organic weapon.
The same is true for the bewildered Mr. Anderson, and with the prompt discovery of a post-it note, the rules of this particular game become clear: “Two guns, each with a bullet,” it says. “No escape… only one can live.”
As the two wander the woods in search of help or a way to break their enforced bond, it becomes evident that the person – or people – behind the situation are near and watching, the occasional note showing up in close proximity warning of the consequences of trying to escape.
But why is this happening? Why these two in particular (given they appear to have only the most tenuous of links, Kieran having appeared at Andrews’ counselling classes on a few occasions)? Rather than being the ultimate twist of Clarke’s tale, the answer to these questions finds itself served up relatively quickly as Onus makes a broad mid-point shift into a completely different perspective.
For the remainder, the mystery becomes one not for the viewer but for newly introduced characters Joan (Jamison) and Liz (Cooke) as they work to get to the bottom of just what happened between Joan’s son and Liz’s husband on that fateful day in the woods.
As a definite game of two halves, it works – but it sure gets rocky for a while. Onus’ setup is sufficiently intriguing, and it’s testament to Clarke’s abilities that the very obvious home-grown micro-budget nature of the project becomes less and less relevant as the film’s first chapter gets under way. Yes, it’s shot on what appears to be a consumer-grade HD digital camera (evident in some early chromatic issues) but Clarke makes smart use of his Norwegian (and Northern Irish) locations and, of course, his two leads.
Doing their part to keep things compelling for the first half, Render and Boyle are incredibly strong in their parts – the younger actor in particular giving the occasionally scenery-chewing Render a powerful run for his money. Still, while Render’s sporadic bouts of over-the-top gurning are an early nuisance, it soon settles down as his role becomes much more low-key.
The problem here? Well, it’s primarily the script. Once the initial gun-toting mystery is out of the way, Onus takes a plunge off a cliff both tonally and in terms of momentum. As chapter 2 arrives and we begin dealing with Liz and Joan, a soap opera-esque barrage of laboured, melancholic exposition, over-long shots of sullen faces and self-aggrandising ruminations on the nature of grief, closure and vengeance drag what had been a compelling thriller down onto an entirely different – and much more amateurish – platform.
Thankfully, however, it’s by no means a complete loss. Hard going for a while, yes, but when this chapter begins to settle into the same stride as Jamison and Cooke’s impressively naturalistic performances, Onus gradually manages to squeeze you in its grip once more. What was an irritatingly ponderous midsection disappears as the film slowly reaches boiling point and winds up with a decent amount to say about the moral shades of gray in which we live.
Given the budget and “group of friends make a film” nature of Onus, writer/director/producer/cinematographer/editor Clarke deserves a fair amount of accolade for what he’s managed to pull off, here. Even if it doesn’t entirely work, it’s one hell of an effort – just make sure you grab a coffee or some other kind of stimulant to help you boost through the doldrums of those middle 20 minutes or so.
Left Films brings Onus to UK DVD sporting a nice range of special features including a 45-minute behind the scenes segment that delivers plenty of on-set antics and interview time with one-man-band Clarke, 13 minutes of bloopers, two trailers and a hugely entertaining commentary with Clarke, Render and Jamison that’s a ton of fun – the crew setting about picking out continuity errors with good-natured humour within the very first minute of runtime. Plenty of anecdotes and insights follow, and by the end the affable personalities on display make it feel like you’ve been sat in a room with a group of good friends for an hour and a half. Great stuff.
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Special Features
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