Scalene (2011)

Directed by Zack Parker

Starring Margo Martindale, Adam Scarimbolo and Hanna Hall

Runtime 97min. - Not Rated

3 Stars (out of 4)

"Scalene" is available through V.O.D services including Amazon Instant and VUDU.

Jakob (Scarimbolo) can't speak. When he was younger he suffered brain damage from "huffing". Things would have been simpler for his family if he had passed away from the incident. "Scalene" is about the ripples his survival creates, and their subsequent growth into tidal waves.

Jakob's mother Janice (Martindale) has been the sole caretaker of her disabled son for several years. Her husband apparently couldn't handle the added responsibility. The only thing we know for sure is that he beat Jakob after became disabled. She seems to be a gentle, dedicated mother, but a few clues appear that raise questions about her sincerity. The first clue is her occasional outbursts of frustration. "Why do you always fuck everything up?" she screams at Jakob. Later, Jakob's caretaker notices bruises on his body, many which bear the shape of hands.


Paige (Hall) is a local college student who needs a part-time job. She replies to a flyer that Janice posted offering part-time employment as a live-in caretaker. Paige is a licensed CNA and is hoping to earn a degree in the medical field. She's a perfect fit. Janice informs her that things didn't work out with the last caretaker. She's never told why, but Paige can probably make an educated guess by the end of the film.

This is one of those films that tease us by climaxing early. Ewww, let me rephrase. This film teases us by sharing its climax at the beginning of the film and then showing us how it got there. Just as I've given the three main characters their own paragraph, director Zack Parker has give them their own segments in the film. We relive the same series of events through the eyes of all three of these characters. This gives us a good idea of where the conflicts arise. Paige walks in on Janice berating Jakob, but she's not there when Janice apologizes and hugs her son.

I hate to compare films, but this style of storytelling is very similar to Sidney Lumet's swan song "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead". I'm not calling it an imitation, but if it is an imitation it's a damn good one. It takes some sharp directing and editing to make such a nonlinear film without losing the audience. I was able to keep up easily.

If I had one complaint it'd be the scenes that feature Paige and her family. She's great when working with Jakob and Janice, but when her family is around the film takes on the feeling of high school play. Perhaps the actors didn't have chemistry or the scenes were filmed at separate times. Either way, it felt amateurish. Those moments are few and far between thankfully.

After her time on the TV series "Justified", I became a big fan of Margo Martindale. She played the matriarch of a Kentucky crime family. Outwardly she projected warm country charm, but Martindale's performance always had a brilliant underlying seediness. She's also really good on her new show "A Gifted Man", but I'll always be partial to her villainous stint as the indomitable Mags Bennett. Her role in "Scalene" does not disappoint. She may not be a true villain in the film, but there's definitely a darker side that emerges.

Adam Scarimbolo gives a flawless performance as Jakob. He portrays the character with the innocence of a child. Also like a child, Jakob is very selfish. He demands to be tended to at all times. I was thankful that the role wasn't overacted as that's so often the case when a character is mentally handicapped. The film's premise sees Jakob being accused of sexual assault. Scarimbolo and Zack Parker did a good job of making him seem capable, but not necessarily culpable. I couldn't be sure if Jakob was guilty until the incident was shown in its entirety. By that time, the suspense is at a boiling point.

A scalene triangle is one in which all angles are different. That must be where the movie's title comes from. The most brilliant sequence in the film takes place in Jakob's point of view. When he awakes for the first time after his accident, the camera drifts randomly and slowly. His mother and the doctors are constantly trying to get his attention which snaps the camera back to center view. It only last a second or two and his attention fades again. He also hallucinates during this sequence. Instead of seeing a doctor trying to perform a mental evaluation, Jakob sees his mother chastising him for "fucking everything up". If you find no other reason to watch, this sequence alone makes it worthwhile.

"Scalene" is a solidly made film with a unique premise. The fashion in which events unfold keeps the film from getting stale. The scene in which the film's secret is revealed is one I will never forget. It's twisted, dramatic, and a little bit gross. Zack Parker directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay. With such an imaginative style of filmmaking, I look forward to his future projects.