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Finding Purpose
USA 2019
produced by John Reign, Charles Wedge (executive) for PoleStar Productions
directed by John Reign
starring John Reign, Thomas Stoops, Aaron McCrumb, James Schultz, Dawna Lee Heising, Lisa Dapprich, Dave Cashier, April Love, Casey Burke, Ed McIntosh, Dave Campbell, Charles Wedge, Maurandis Berger, RJ Guy, Christopher Goff, Ross Carlo, April Evans, AJ Santillo, John Catheline, Curtis Megginson, Bianca Diavolo, John Kage, Scott Hune, Kyra Hill, Alyssa Baldinell, Lena Wallace, Joe Battyani, Alley Wedge, Loralie Carlo, MJ Myers, Sam Schultz, Mike Mitchell, John Swaney, Chris Henry
written by John Reign, music by Mark H. Ramonda
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Back in the Bosnian war, John (John Reign) was "somebody", a
sergeant who got his men through many a tough spot, somebody that was
hated by some but looked up to by others. That was 25 years ago though,
and now John's out of a job and doomed to live in a trailer with both
water and power turned off. He looks after his mentally challenged brother
Rodney (Thomas Stoops), whom he loves dearly and who he always puts first
- but given his rather precarious situation, it's hardly surprising that
social services, with the police in tow, show up to take away Rodney to
put him in state care, and John's heart is pretty much broken when he
learns that he's even barred for the time being from seeing Rodney. However,
two of John's army buddies (Aaron McCrumb, James Schultz) promise to help
get Rodney out of the facility he's placed in, and provide him and John
with an escape car and enough money to last them a while. Eventually,
they stop at a strip club for a beer, where John's pleasantly surprised to
find out that it's run by an old friend of his, Skye (Dawna Lee Heising).
Later though, John walks into an argument between Skye's business partner
Ivan (Dave Cashier) and dancer Anna (April Love), and gentleman
that he is, he saves Anna when Ivan pulls a gun, then takes her with him
and Rodney to wherever. It's only later that he finds out Ivan isn't just
a street thug who got into a scuffle with one of the girls but a crime
kingpin who has his hands in all kinds of dirty dealings, and now that he
has helped Anna, he might be on Ivan's hitlist. Worse than that, he has
taken Skye hostage to get back Anna ... A very interesting film
that's part character study and part crime movie that shows you can tell
an engaging story without a cookiecutter hero in the lead, instead leaving
the action to a down-on-his-luck fiftysomething, and that touches social
issues along the way without pushing them into the viewer's face. Of
course, a solid screenplay is essential in bringing this across, but this
movie's also brought to life by its strong characters and competent
ensemble cast, and a direction that chooses understatement over making
things glaringly obvious. Well worth a watch.
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