Sadly, what is, in fact, a great story is embarrassingly mishandled here. I don't know if this was a vanity project by some amateur film-maker wannabes, or friends of the owners, but to call this amateurish would be a compliment. The obvious comparison, in real life and in movies, is to 'Seabiscuit'. The differences, of course, are due to having real talent involved, instead of wherever the producer, director, writer (all the same guy) came from. Backers didn't pay for particularly talented on-screen talent, either, but actors were painfully constrained by absolutely terrible behind-the-camera absence of talent.
It's just dreadful. There is no tension, no chemistry between characters, no narrative flow. The pace, such as it is, is that of a lame old horse at best - with no sense of direction. I think actors may have given up, improvised cursorily when writing and directing were lost, and they just wanted to get done, get paid, and leave.
Actually, the writers and director have some bit of credibility in the industry, to some extent. I suspect this mess cut that back significantly.
What could have been - should have been - an engaging, warm and sometimes tense story became a pile that should have been scooped up and disposed with everything else left on the stall floor.
It's just dreadful. There is no tension, no chemistry between characters, no narrative flow. The pace, such as it is, is that of a lame old horse at best - with no sense of direction. I think actors may have given up, improvised cursorily when writing and directing were lost, and they just wanted to get done, get paid, and leave.
Actually, the writers and director have some bit of credibility in the industry, to some extent. I suspect this mess cut that back significantly.
What could have been - should have been - an engaging, warm and sometimes tense story became a pile that should have been scooped up and disposed with everything else left on the stall floor.