Witness when, at certain story intervals, Sabrina stands in front of a mirror and examines herself as thoughts run through her head concerning her play, her relationship, her characters, etc. Ziegler highlights each of these moments in a different lighting hue meant to signify Sabrina’s internal monologue: blue, green, reddish-orange, etc. It’s an interesting touch, and Ziegler’s use of symbolic coloring is an editorial skill that can only be sharpened in subsequent projects.
In the scenes in which Sabrina is in the world of The Tungsten Dagger (which comprises half the film), Ziegler and his cinematographer Logan Fetters employ gorgeous black and white photography that magnifies Ziegler’s shrewd understanding of film noir, particularly in his use of shadow and smoke. Ziegler works overtime to create a stylish film on an independent palette, and it shows to terrific effect.
“…quite an entertaining neo-noir…”
With the exception of Sabrina, each actor does double-duty with their characters in real-life, along with their characters from The Tungsten Dagger. Toeing the line through both realms, Decker has a lot on her plate, but she manages the challenge just fine. Decker is an inspired casting choice: she possesses a relatable “every girl” quality that will remind viewers of any number of cool girls that they might have known in high school.
Additionally, Taylor Dahl does wonderful work as the ostensible villain of the piece, and Taylor McGlone nicely embodies the mystery and allure of the elusive Elodie.
The movie loses momentum a bit during the last third just prior to the denouement, as many movies tend to do so that certain conflicts may be wrapped up. Yet in a movie with such grand aspirations, style, and good, old-fashioned love of the game, a few moments of downtime is a negligible demerit. Elodie is a solid sophomore effort from a director who, no doubt, will attain whatever sweeping endeavor he sets his sight upon.
"…grand aspirations, style, and good, old-fashioned love of the game"
