Donovan’s Echo

Donovan’s Echo follows Donovan (Danny Glover), whose life is seemingly in shambles, as he returns to his old home. His wife and daughter passed nearly thirty years ago, and their deaths continue to haunt him. After getting to the house, the things that happen to him feel unusually familiar, and his life choices come into question like never before. As he reevaluates his past and looks toward his future, he hopes that these deja vú-like events will provide both clarity and solace after years of suffering. 

Danny Glover is well-known for his roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as the Lethal Weapon series and Predator 2. His deep, charming voice has graced the big screen upwards of 150 times, and his passionate acting has enticed audiences for decades. Even in smaller titles, like Donovan’s Echo, the actor fills the screen with vim and vigor, gripping audiences and appealing to them in nearly every way. From the first moment that viewers see Glover’s Donovan, his performance thrills them, with his marvelous voice perfectly delivering dialogue. It sure helps that his chemistry with Bruce Greenwood, as Finnley Boyd, is impeccable. It seems that he hasn’t lost a step in his journey through Hollywood, and he has remained true to himself and his talent.

To stick with the acting, Greenwood plays wonderfully alongside Glover, as the character actor proves yet again, that he compares to some of the Hollywood elites. There is something unique about his ability. What separates Greenwood from others is the fact that he does not recite his lines perfectly. He makes them sound natural, (almost) unplanned, and honest. He appears to feed off of Glover’s emotions with such ease that his lines actually seem more realistic than most other performances I’ve seen.

“After getting to the house, the things that happen to him feel unusually familiar…”

The acting is so impeccable that it manages to make up for some plotting issues. While the story, in the simplest of ways, is intriguing and entertaining, it seems somewhat fractured. I’m not entirely sure that the end justifies everything that takes place throughout Donovan’s Echo. The journey itself is fun, even thrilling, and it keeps audiences engaged as they cannot wait to see the film’s big reveal. Said reveal lacks the panache necessary to live up to audiences’ expectations, making the journey somewhat useless. I hate that the end takes so much away from the incredible build-up, ruining what audiences were engaged in for an hour and a half.

Knowing that disappointment awaits, potential viewers may not give the film a chance. However, as much sense as that makes, I urge everyone to check out Jim Cliffe’s dramatic mystery. The story, up until those final moments, is terrific. It provides viewers with everything they could ask for as thrills, adventure, passion, and emotion fill the film from beginning to end. Overlook the film’s shortcoming and appreciate the beauty and the sentiment behind its story.

Audiences should be enthralled by most of what takes place, especially because of the stellar acting. Overlook the film’s shortcoming and appreciate the beauty and the sentiment behind its story. Glover and Greenwood truly are magical throughout Donovan’s Echo and bring a special something to the production that will allow audiences to still enjoy the movie, flaws and all.