Bound short film review
★★★★
Directed by: Mark Grabianowski
Written by: Mark Grabianowski
Starring: Sheila Dionne, Alicia Blasingame, Garrett Botts
Film Review by: Jason Knight
A bad man is being held captive in a basement by a woman who holds a very serious grudge against him.
This short murder-revenge thriller begins with normality. A middle-aged woman (Dionne) is sitting at a table inside her home, playing cards. She then goes downstairs, to the basement, and it is revealed that there is a man (Botts) there, blindfolded and tied to a chair. She has captured him because he is responsible for the death of a loved one. Meanwhile, her daughter Susan (Blasingame) informs her that she plans to sell the house her mother lives in in the very near future.
The main subject here is crime-and-punishment. The film explores the devastating effects the captive’s terrible act have had on the woman and asks the question: what should she do now? Should she let him go? Turn him in to the police? Take the law into her own hands? The narrative is rather intriguing and keeps the viewer in suspense as they wonder how the situation is going to turn out.
As the main protagonist, Dionne delivers an exceptional performance. Her character is a decent person, who had the misfortune of losing a loved one due to murder and is now seeking justice. Although she has gone as far as to hold the culprit captive inside her house, she is unsure where to go from there. Dionne portrays the emotional struggles her character is going through very convincingly. Blasingame does a great job as the daughter who cares deeply about her mum and Botts is believable as the terrified criminal.
The film includes well constructed montage sequences that make effective use of fast cutting. The atmospheric music adds value and the soundtrack consists of wonderful classical music.
Bound takes a look at a woman’s tormented soul. It explores themes of loss, hatred, family and how far a person is willing to go for justice. With outstanding acting by Dionne and an interesting plot, this achievement is worthy of a lot of praise and recognition.
#JasonKnight
Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/501012567
