Review of Gabriel (2014) by Greg N — 18 Sep 2015

I went into Gabriel knowing almost nothing about it. I learned of its existence a couple of days before seeing it, read an advertised synopsis of it the day before, and decided to see it after seeing the trailer.

It's these kind of small indies that make me happy in how sure of themselves that they are. This is an indie that I come across--maybe three per year--where I'm so happy that I went to see it.

Gabriel is simplistic but nuanced, and with its direction, music, and Rory Culkin's terrific performance, the final result is a slow-burning, cold, atmospheric character study. As said before, this is a pretty simple movie.

Culkin, as the title character, is a neurotic, mentally ill guy in his late teens to early twenties who, after his father's suicide, decides that he needs to find his ex-girlfriend from five years ago or so, and his attempts become increasingly desperate.

The movie is more or less told from his point of view--the sound design and editing emulate the character's perception of his surroundings, but the story is told from a third-party perspective. What fuels this movie the most is Rory Culkin's performance, which is so delicate in its quirks and tics that it creates such a real person.

Watching his highs and his lows, seeing him be reminded of hardships from his past, or just watching him react to the world around him with a lost sensibility often rely on a performance that isn't just about dialogue or outward emotions.

It's a sullen but deep piece of acting. I really hope that his career takes off from here--the biggest movie that he's done as an adult was Scream 4 in 2011--because he knows how to project a mentality onto an audience.

The direction also does a great job, using its cold, blue landscapes and long takes very well. It's a slow movie and is only 85 minutes, but its pacing is very steady. The sound mixing does a very good job at illustrating the protagonist's mentality, whether it's focusing on the whirring of a ceiling fan, the noise of a fork against a plate, or the ambience of waves overtaking the soundtrack.

This is a quiet film that knows how to bond visuals and audio together to make a cohesive, effective package. In terms of flaws, Gabriel has some slight issues in terms of its story. Some peripheral characters or events--namely the protagonist's father's suicide that takes place before the film--aren't quite as fully developed as they could be.

They aren't detrimental at all, but they could have been better. There was also a time where I became somewhat aware of the film's slow pacing (but not burdened by it), but I still didn't quite mind because the content onscreen was so well done.

The ending could have had a little bit more to it, but I can't quite criticize it because it did have an effect on me. Otherwise, Gabriel proves to be a great debut feature from writer/director Lou Howe and proves that Rory Culkin isn't just another one of the million Culkin kids.

This movie knows what it is and it knows how to do it. It isn't perfect, but its successes definitely outnumber its flaws, and with its well executed tone, it makes me eager to see what come next from this director.

8.4/10, great, one thumb up, above average, etc.