Product: Triangle (2009)
Rating: 4.0
more circular than triangular . . .
Triangle (2009) is a twisted tale of suspense, that is one long strange repetitive ride. Time and reality become non-linear, as just when it seems that the matter has ended, it begins again at a different juncture. It's hard to explain, but as the cycle of events repeats, different parts of the story are filled in, eventually leading to a better understanding of some matters, while the overall picture still remains clouded in mystery. Writer/director Christopher Smith has produced a film with many layers, where some things only become apparent through repeated viewings.A movie where almost nothing is what is seems it be, Triangle has some violence and scares, but is not a horror film. Jess (Melissa George) is a single mother looking to get away for a weekend cruise aboard her friend Greg's (Michael Dorman) sailboat. A party of six, leaves Key West aboard the `Triangle', and heads out to sea, where they run into an unexpected storm that capsizes the small craft. The survivors are floating on the upturned hull, when they happen across a small liner, and manage to board the nearly deserted ship called the Aeolus.Once aboard, the action focuses in on Jess, and very strange things begin to happen, as violence erupts, and people begin to die (or do they?). Saying more might ruin things for those who have not seen the film, but suffice to say, the story involves cyclical actions, and as the film progresses, it becomes evident that the scope of the cycles involved, is larger than one might initially think. While some questions are apparently answered, other questions are raised, and much continues to be confusing and ambiguous.There are good performances by everyone involved, particularly Rachael Carpani, but this film is clearly a showcase for Melissa George, who is onscreen most of the time, once the survivors board the Aeolus. Jess is faced with a cruelly twisted reality, that is almost impossible to comprehend. On a strange, highly tense journey, she finds herself doing things she would never have thought possible. Not everything makes sense, and there are questions left unanswered. While not a masterpiece, Triangle connects enough dots to constitute a compelling, provocative, and very watchable thriller.For such a deep and complex effort, a commentary by Christopher Smith would certainly have been most enlightening, but disappointingly there are no major extras in this edition, just some brief interviews.