Indie Film Review: THE BOOK of JEREMIAH: ACT 1: THE SINNER

The origin of sin and the nature of redemption are nothing new to the short film and are at the heart of the Eric Ragan directed short film THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH: ACT 1: THE SINNER (aka THE SINNER). The film concerns the plight of a religious man Jeremiah (Aaron Simmons) who is haunted by the memory of his girlfriend (Greer Ashton) and the horrible accidental murder on an innocent runaway (Cort King). We know that this man is religious as he grips the symbol of the cross around his neck but there is more than meets the eye with this man.

When a note is left for him under his door, Jeremiah seeks out the place on the note which leads him to a church and Father Mallory (Everitt Thrall). Here bat the sanctuary of God Jeremiah seeks to confess his sins before Father Mallory. He reveals to the priest that he unwillingly caused the death of a runaway and covered it up and he seeks forgiveness...among other things.

There is more than meets the eye between these two men as we learn that Jeremiah is a man with purpose and that he may be more dangerous than he pretends to be. Based on an original screenplay by Alex Whitmer (adapted by Ragan himself) the film hovers within the mind of Jeremiah who may or may not be a reliable protagonist.

Despite the predictable plot of the film actor Simmons, for the most part, keeps the character of Jeremiah very interesting. The only uneven moments in the entire film come when Jeremiah and Father Mallory confront each other. This should be a tense moment between the two but it comes off as flat and timid if not even forced at some times. Confrontations like this are extremely hard to balance and if there is a weak moment in the film this is it.

The cinematography by Stephen Sherwood is both engaging and suits the nature of the film which strives to portray the conflicted nature of Jeremiah and his personal plight. Of particular interest should be the original music score from Ken Lockie which perfectly marries itself with the film and keeps the film moving throughout its brief running time. This may not be a perfect film but it does contain some excellent elements for a short film.

You can view the film THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH: ACT 1: THE SINNER at:

http://vimeo.com/28192239