“The Beekeeper” is a subtle study in the art of deceit. At 27 minutes, however, it doesn’t have a lot of time to make its point. Luckily, it succeeds, but the conclusion leaves a lot to be desired. With respect to the cast, too, if it weren’t for Michelle Mueller, who plays Robin, this film would’ve been dead in the first five minutes.
Robin is your classic small-town girl with a past. She is cute beyond belief, devious, and capable of great love or rage, all of which is portrayed without flaw by Mueller’s facial expressions and, most notably, her eyes. Mueller can do more with a look than most actors can do with ten minutes of dialogue.
Robin’s boyfriend is about to go to college, and she just revealed she got a new place and is pregnant. What she doesn’t tell him is that she is having an affair with his father. When dad gives her a bit of the cold shoulder, she makes sure he knows how hurtful she can be. This is done in the most nasty of ways, but it won’t be what viewers expect.
Of course, that’s a lot of build up, but the film ends just as casually as it began, leaving viewers to guess the outcome. That is slightly frustrating, though, as you want to see people held responsible for their actions. You want the guilty to pay. And, let’s face it, you want more screen time with Mueller.
Writer/director Sean J.S. Jourdan did a fine job with this one, despite my anger at the conclusion. He has a great feel for characters and he made some good casting decisions. Perhaps there’s an alternate ending out there somewhere.
