More than anything, I was impressed by the sheer ambition of Elodie. Here is a story that begs to be told on a larger scale, and I hope someday that it will be. In the meantime, writer-director Daniel Ziegler, along with a talented cast and production team, works with what he has and conjures up quite an entertaining neo-noir.
Aspiring playwright Sabrina Stone (Faith Decker) is finishing up her first play, a Maltese Falcon-ish piece of amateur noir entitled The Tungsten Dagger. Her boyfriend and leading man, Colin (Ian Holt), has even secured, through a harmless bit of nepotism, a date for the play in front of the public. With the search for a leading lady to portray the central role of Elodie taking much longer than expected, Sabrina bravely steps into the role.
“Sabrina awakens from her sleep one night to find herself a player in her own story.”
On opening night, Colin (in what can only be described as a dick move) decides that it is a perfect time to break up with Sabrina. Her nerves frazzled, Sabrina does the best she can, but during her climactic scene with Colin, her emotions overwhelm her, and she escapes into the wings, ruining her big night.
The devastating breakup, coupled with her best friend and fellow actress, Abigail (Brittney Watson) moving soon to New York City, leaves Sabrina depressed and despondent. Whether it be a figment of Sabrina’s imagination or some extravagant hallucination brought upon by the anxiety medication she pops like M&Ms, Sabrina awakens from her sleep one night to find herself a player in her own story. The characters from The Tungsten Dagger have seemingly walked off the page and coaxed Sabrina into their world to work through the mystery that Sabrina herself has cooked up.
Like I said, ambitious. But while Elodie is not a perfect movie, I am endeared by the pluck and enthusiasm of Ziegler and his cast in their attempts to produce such a demanding piece of work. With a keen eye for color and composition on display at several moments throughout the film, I predict that Ziegler will go places.
"…grand aspirations, style, and good, old-fashioned love of the game"
