Misfortune is the kind of crime thriller that doesn’t waste any time setting up its heisty premise. Yet thanks to Germain McMicking and Stefan Duscio’s framing as well as Henshall and Wallace’s acting. Misfortune goes above and beyond most other crime films of its ilk.
Wright’s debut feature film is both an engaging thriller and intriguing portrait-inside-a-portrait, taking an in-depth look at Adam Cullen. An Australian grunge artist with controversial practices, and the journalist recruit to profile him by him.
Boyd (Desmond Devenish)
Misfortune uses familiar genre elements – like unjustify gains, double-crosses and gunplay – in an engaging and gripping fashion. Devenish’s first time writer-directing and star performance keeps audiences riveted throughout. Max Nikoff recorded sound effects to add detail during certain action sequences that were otherwise visual in nature; in addition Xander Bailey plays Boyd’s criminal partner Russell and Jenna Kanell makes for a convincing curvier waitress girlfriend pairing.
This film opens with an ominous prologue: two AARP-eligible thugs are locked in battle over a stolen carload of diamonds that had been taken by them seven years earlier. Mallick (Kevin Gage), on parole and believing they still belong to him, returns and demands they find the treasure together with unemploy mechanic Boyd (an unwitting accomplice to Mallick’s schemes) from Boyd (an unemployed mechanic with a live-in girlfriend and criminal acquaintances as help. They begin searching together until finally they discover it somewhere out in the desert!
Boyd and his team set off without knowing exactly what they’re searching for other than a small fortune in the rocks and dirt. Without any map or sense of direction to guide their search. They wander aimlessly before continuing along their quest – increasing tension with every step thanks to an engaging script which avoids too much exposition or unneeded dialogue.
Misfortune may not be the most original crime drama ever released to theaters. But there’s something special about Roger Corman and other B-level producers making low-budget films with limited budgets in their past. They took risks with their budgets but ultimately deliver solid movies with loyal fan bases of independent flicks like Misfortune – not that this film can stand alone as an artistic achievement but it deserves credit for showing that an actor with potential like Devenish can shine when combined with directors that know what can be accomplished even on limited budgets to create an exciting thriller that deserves recognition – rating this film as 7/10
Sloan (Jenna Kanell)
Acute Misfortune recycles genre tropes such as illegal gains, double-crosses and violent gunplay while offering them in an engaging and unpredictable fashion. Seth Johnson’s atmospheric nighttime desert locale cinematography coupled with Nick Mancuso’s brief yet effective portrayal as an unscrupulous thief who loves too well contributes greatly to Acute Misfortune’s overall success as do subtle twists midway through.
Rare is the film that treats its subject with such respect while still entertaining audiences. Director Devenish steers this production with a steady hand, never resorting to overly fancy camerawork or overwrought dialogue; shooting in 1.33:1 aspect ratio provides a strong backdrop for his characters’ situations as tension builds throughout.
Drama ebbs and flows with haunting poeticicism in this thriller film. With tight pacing and lean 90-minute running time ensuring it doesn’t overstay its welcome. But what really shines through this production is Desmond Devenish as Boyd. A mechanic/part-time crook who hails from Nick Mancuso’s Roman. Who was killed during a failed robbery attempt and left some diamonds hidden away. Boyd embarks on his mission to retrieve them using his live-in girlfriend Sloan (Sloan) as well as his best petty criminal friend Russell (Xander Bailey).
As with Chopper, Andrew Dominik’s great Australian character study from 2000, Acute Misfortune does not serve up inspirational or educational lessons; rather it explores an eccentric character by stripping away mythic traits and raising some difficult questions – like whether our culture celebrates certain kinds of people more than others.
Erik Jensen (Steve Earle)
There’s more. Just to give you an example. Let’s say there’s a party and they need a DJ… well let them get this far without you knowing it. Because that would be crazy-making 😛 Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen have earned acclaim as two of the leading practitioners of documentary theater in America (The New York Times). Additionally, their play The Exonerated has garnered numerous accolades including Lortel, Drama Desk, Ovation, Fringe First and Herald Angel Awards. Their documentary play Aftermath, which draws from interviews conduct with Iraqi civilian refugees living in Jordan, premiered Off Broadway at NYTW and also traveled internationally. Their one-man show How to Be a Rock Critic, featuring Lester Bangs from Rock Criticism Magazine, played at venues including New York’s Public Theater and South Coast Rep. Their documentary play, The Line (based on interviews with New York medical first responders) premiered at The Public in 2022-2023 before receiving a digital run with Vertical Entertainment in 2019.
Grammy Award-winning country/folk singer Steve Earle teams up with Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen to explore the lives of those impacted by the Upper Big Branch mine disaster of West Virginia in 2010. In a captivating piece of political theater that highlights greed versus love’s lasting power. This world premiere sheds light on an historical tale of exploitation and resistance.
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