Two filmmakers return to their hometown for the Rochester
premiere of “Sympathy, Said the Shark,” a new crime thriller from
writer-director Devin Lawrence and producer Matthew Mourgides, both Sodus
natives. On a dark and stormy night, a young couple — Justin (Lea Coco) and
Lara (Melinda Cohen) — answer their door to find their estranged friend, Church
(Dominic Bogart), frantic, bloodied, and desperate for a safe place to hide
from a mysterious someone he claims is out to kill him. They reluctantly let
him in, but as they struggle to get to the bottom of the situation, it soon
becomes clear that all is not as it appears.
Much of the film is seen from the first-person perspective of
one of its protagonists, overlapping certain moments to reveal slight
variations that alter our perceptions of each character’s actions and motivations.
Lawrence’s script doles out information slowly, as the ordeal raises issues
from the past and uncovers secrets each has been keeping from the others.
To achieve the first-person effect, the filmmakers utilized a
camera rig attached to a motorcycle helmet worn by the actors (based on
behind-the-scenes photos, the contraption looks like something designed by
Jigsaw from the “Saw” films), allowing the performers to shoot many scenes
themselves. The method adds to the inventive work from cinematographer Mark
LeFleur and adds a level of intrigue to a fairly straightforward story. Though
the repetition contributes to the film’s occasionally jerky flow, the
performances are strong enough to keep us wrapped up in each new development.
“Sympathy, Said the Shark” is actually the second film in
recent months to play with first-person POV, following the pulpy, ultra-violent
action flick, “Hardcore,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film
Festival last fall. Whereas the technique lent that film a hyperactive,
first-person shooter vibe, “Sympathy” takes a more subdued approach as Lawrence
uses it to play with audience perception and to keep our allegiances constantly
shifting. It’s a cleverly executed concept and I’ll be interested to see what
the filmmakers choose to do next.
Devin Lawrence and Matthew Mourgides will be in attendance
for a Q&A following the screening of their film.
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2016.
