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Westender

With it’s release a little over two years ago, Westender really is one of those films that I should have reviewed a long time ago. I quite vividly remember reading the various write ups on the film during its production and how locals were proud to see Oregon landscapes used with such thought and care. I even remember having a conversation with fellow low budget filmmakers and each of us asking, “um, okay, these guys did it, why weren’t we”? Suffice to say I was a tad bit jealous of the folks at MOB Productions, but I was also very jazzed to see the flick they had put together. Then, like so many times before, your friendly neighborhood Geek got wrapped up in other events and missed the whole dang thing. Thank God for Netflix. So finally, after two years of wanting to know how the movie turned out I present to you a (belated) review of the DVD Westender...

The Movie

Westender tackles the fantasy standard of a knight who has long since fallen to drink and despair. The film itself has strong acting so often lacking in independent films. While it is apparent that many of the supporting roles in Westender are not staffed by professional actors, the film is able to maintain it’s emotional quality through its leading actor, Blake Stadel. As fallen knight Ashbrey of Westender, Blake Stadel handles the difficult task taking a drunken and semi-cowardly knight and rising him back to the hero he was always intended (and used) to be. The film opens as a fairly straightforward fantasy film. All the elements are in place, including the shifty and never silent bard for a sidekick. On the trail of vile slavers who stole a ring of deep personal value, Westender does a fine job of maintaining the viewers interest. It is at the middle point that the film deviates from traditional fantasy sword epic to an introspective struggle for redemption. I will admit that the sudden shift had me lost for a few moments and I found myself rewinding the DVD to see if I missed anything. In a way, I am thankful that my first viewing allowed me to do this, had I first watched this film in a theater I may not have been as interested in the final half as I am sure I would have focused more on the transition and not the journey. Westender’s spiritual journey can be, at times, jarring, but still satisfying and believable.

Matt Molitor does an excellent job of showcasing the stunning setting that the people of Westender exist in. Unlike many independent films Westender is not dialogue driven, instead relying upon the use of shadows, light, and physical actions of the the characters. Thankfully, Molitor is more then up for the challenge and delivers a visually pleasing and moving picture. The score composed by Rob Simonsen (who also played the aforementioned Bard) is effective in eliciting the correct mood at the proper time. Unlike so many traditional fantasy film scores, Simonsen’s score is subtle as it aids in the telling of Westender’s redemption. Brock Morse does a good job of keeping the viewer interested in the tale, although I still have some troubles with the sudden transition of traditional sword epic to introspective redemption tale. Considering this film is the first feature from the gang at MOB Productions, I am highly impressed and look forward to watching this crew grow and expand their talents. I give the film 3.5 out of 5 critical hits.

The DVD

The disc is fairly bare bones which isn’t too much of a shock considering Westenders low budget roots. Not a lot of money to allow for various extra features. The disc contains the trailer to the film, a few deleted scenes, and a very well made behinds the scenes feature. (Although it feels more like a promotional piece intended to lure distributors).

The colors are vibrant and do an excellent job of showcasing the gorgeous Oregon locations. There are a few times in the film where the natural light washes out some of the surrounding imagery. As I never saw the film in the theater, I can’t say if this is a result of on locations lighting or poor transfer onto DVD. As stated, the music in the film is excellent and supports the scene well. There are a few times where the mix seemed to drown out a few lines and I found myself altering my sound configuration to better hear the dialogue. Again, I have a feeling this is due to DVD transfer done by the folks at Warner Brothers Home Video and not the filmmakers.

If you are looking for a break for the onslaught that is summer blockbusters, head down to your local video store and rent yourself a copy of Westender. It’s a fine way to spend an evening with your movie snobs and gaming buddies.