Blur Circle (2024)

Blur Circle

One of the many interesting things about Chris Hansen’s low-budget regional drama Blur Circle is that its main character can both be irritating and worthy of our sympathy. That would be Jill (Cora Vander Broek) who has been consumed by her young son’s disappearance two years ago. That is only a normal reaction, right? Something that should elicit empathy from any audience.

But she takes it too far. She confronts strange men in the park just because they are there alone on a weekday, which she finds suspicious then takes their picture and gives it to the detective working on her case who is obviously annoyed with her. She snaps at everyone around her; she wears an ugly jogging suit every day because it’s what she had on when he vanished and wants him to recognize her when he comes back.

Also: Jill calls out a guy at a laundromat for appearing to photograph people without their consent; they get in heated argument about it, so later she smashes a window at his house to show further disapproval.

It turns out that the stranger is named Burton (Matthew Brumlow), a school crossing guard who also has suffered through his own tragedy. In a flashback we see him coldly telling his wife he’s leaving her; minutes later, she tries to hang herself in their garage winds up not dead but in coma from which doctors say she will never wake up. Trying ease conscience, keeps two-way video monitoring of her in hospital bed and often talks to her as though she might hear.

The movie was written by Brian Elliott revolves around relationship between emotionally damaged Jill and Burton. Earl (Ryan Artzberger), another friend of Burton’s an eccentric junkyard owner who holds solemn funeral ceremonies for items deemed beyond repair figures prominently into the story as well.

What sets this apart from other movies with similar themes is its refusal follow predictability: There aren’t easy resolutions these sad situations; Jill and Burton never become romantically involved as they would in Hollywood version of this tale. But not everything about it works. There are times when movie feels like it’s trying too hard, and such moments as Earl attempting to absolve Jill of her lingering guilt by having her make a religious-style “confession” in the shower and ritually wash away sins come off as forced.

Still, the film is often very powerful. The characterizations start out being too quirky then get deeper; performances all around are excellent (Vander Broek is especially fierce); Texas-shot film has strong sense of place; technically it’s quite good.

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