Chameleon

Of particular “interest” (?) is the film’s star, Joel Hogan. Given little to do other than be mopey and handsome, he succeeds brilliantly at both. Certainly handsome enough that you’d believe he could seduce women.  However, Chameleon loses credibility once they actually decide to show his game. I used to work in a café, and I’ve seen some weak attempts at seduction in my life, but this is some gold medal level stuff here. Just a symphony of awkward lines and wildly inappropriate behavior that you couldn’t, in your wildest imaginings, believe would work. Mizelle might go down in history for filming the least sexy seduction scene in the history of cinema.

“…even with the bouncing back and forth in time, you never feel lost…”

Then there is the character of Dolph. Imagine a black movie criminal. Do you have him in your head? Well…you’re right. You don’t need to alter your guess in the slightest. Dolph is every negative stereotype for a black man in a movie rolled into one cringe-worthy package. He is large, he is loud, he is threatening, he is a little rapey, and he is here to make you uncomfortable.

But perhaps the oddest thing about Chameleon is the soundtrack. For the first 2/3s of the movie, there is a double bass sliding between two notes and what sounds like two sticks being struck together. Terribly minimal, but still somehow distracting in just how often they come back to it. It is as if 5 minutes can’t go by without Boooooowoooooo….KLACK. I am more perplexed and confused by this decision than I should be.

Chameleon is a promising early effort by a talented young director and a difficult plodding script from a not so talented writer. It’s just too bad they are the same person.