Fugue

Fugue is a rather engaging little mystery-thriller right up until the final minute or two. Street’s script smartly peppers enough inconsistencies to keep the audience guessing as to what is real and what is not. When Ian shows up, he tells Malcolm that it was a “nasty spill” he took, despite Helen informing him that it was a car crash. Is one, or both of them, lying? The use of well-timed flashbacks to fill in the gaps, and play out a few scenes from a different point of view, also holds the viewer’s attention, as there are new subtle, and not-so, clues to pick up on to figure out what is truly happening.

But the finale does not deliver on the setup. Without giving too much away, the ending will leave movie watchers wondering what the point of everything that just happened is. Nothing truly gets resolved, so all that careful plotting feels for naught. Not enough information is given about Malcolm before he loses his memories for any sort of change to be noticeable, so while Foley is great as the character, he only has two modes: slightly confused and tough guy. Helen remains just as much of an enigma, so again, there’s no driving element behind the actions.

“…a rather engaging little mystery-thriller right up until the final minute or two.”

Yes, there’s a MacGuffin in the safe, but it is not enough. Don’t get me wrong, the Pulp Fiction way in which Street does not reveal its contents is admirable, but it does not work. See, in Tarantino’s opus, there are these strong characters and witty dialogue to distract from never knowing. Here, there is no such thing, as the characters are a blank slate, one of them literally. Unless Street rewrites the movie to better build up to who Malcolm truly is or reveals the safe’s contents, there’s nothing to latch onto story-wise.

This is a crying shame, as the technical merits of Fugue are impeccable. Street’s a robust and stylish director who ably maintains tension and, alongside editor James Griffith, delivers a riveting and gorgeous looking movie. The cast is equally as fantastic. In the beginning, Jack Foley’s silent act is extraordinary as his facial expressions and body language convey everything the audience needs to know about how confused he is. As Helen, Laura Tremblay is enticing enough to believably convince her onscreen husband (or is he?) of just about anything and mysterious enough to be a threat possibly. They are great together.

In 2015, underrated director-actor-writer-producer April Mullen released the rather impressive thriller, 88, starring the indomitable Katharine Isabelle and the great Christopher Lloyd. It, too, is about someone in a fugue state and is excellent all the way around. As for Fugue, if you want to study acting, check it out, as the cast elevates the material, and the directing and tone are quality stuff. But, for anyone seeking a complete and satisfying story, check out 88 as recommended instead, as Tomas Street’s movie will leave viewers wanting.