Palindrome

The mystery of how everything links up, why Fred is in the asylum, and what Anna dies for prove most enticing. Though the characters play out in broad strokes, as they are more archetypes than three-dimensional people, they still work. By allowing them to be easily identified and empathized with, Flemmings enables the audience to focus on the twists and curves of the plot, which is where his real passion lies.

The structure of Palindrome might give off the appearance that after the first few minutes, one will know how it all wraps up. This is an understandable thing to think, as the ending is the beginning. But that does not mean the audience will understand what it represents until undertaking this waking nightmare. Or is it a surreal and dark dream that absolves its two characters of their sins? The screenplay playfully toys with what is real, what is not, and how Fred and Anna interpret signs from the universe. The journey of unraveling the mystery is immensely entertaining.

“…unraveling the mystery is immensely entertaining.”

None of this would be possible if not for its two leads. Jumaane Brown excels as Fred. When trying to scream in the recesses of his mind, telling a fellow thief about how much money they don’t have to split, or painfully agonizing over his forgotten task, he makes it all entirely believable in the moment. As Anna, Sarah Swain is just as fantastic. She is fun, intense, and easy to root for. Her furtive glancing at someone in a club is filled with longing and passion that she plays perfectly. Her muted resignation of her death is also believable, sad, and tragic.

Palindrome is not for everyone. Its characters are intentionally broad, the movie circles back on itself a few times, and it refuses to spell things out for those watching. But, the cinematography, editing, and use of color, coupled with a fun mystery and fantastic acting, mean that there is much to recommend to those daring enough to take a chance on the film. Isn’t taking risks what independent cinema is all about?