The Movie: Pink Opaque
The Director: Derrick Perry
The Cast: Elijah Boothe, Ruby Park, Chaim Dunbar, Daniel C, Jeremy Ford, Susan Elle, Aaron Dominguez, Chris Markle, Bill Miltenberger, Kris Kil, Milo Scott
The Story: While struggling to finish his thesis documentary required to graduate, Travis Wolfe reconnects with his estranged uncle and navigates a budding romance against the wishes of his girlfriend’s older brother.
The Review:
This is Derrick Perry's feature film debut and with this film, he takes a long hard look at race, the entertainment industry, and many other societal topics. The focus of the story is on Travis, a young film student played by Elijah Boothe, who is about as down on his luck as a person could be and everything seems to revolve around his ability to make bad decisions. This is also where a lot of the drama can be found whether it's Travis trying to manage a relationship, trying to finish his film project, or trying to find a place to sleep for the night.
I really enjoyed Boothe's performance as he brings a level of authenticity to the character that is endearing yet also very frustrating because when you see him make mistakes, you're like what the hell but then you can also relate to what he's going through. The actor also has great chemistry with co-star Ruby Park who, like the director, is making her feature film debut, and when on screen together, they provide some of the best moments of the whole movie. This also makes me think the movie might have actually have been better if it was primarily focused on their relationship and the troubles that ensue rather it being one of several plot lines.
The fact that so much is happening in the story is also the primary drawback as none of it gets it's proper due within the 90 minute run time. That being said, I don't think there's enough there to push it to the two hour mark, I would have rather seen the script trimmed and streamlined with a more focused approach. What the movie ends up being is a sort of modern reimaging of Boyz n the Hood's theme of students trying to escape the trappings of their surroundings before that reality and lifestyle catches up with them, which really isn't a bad thing at all.
The Verdict:
Pink Opaque is an emotionally affecting story that has a lot to say and features some strong performances from Elijah Boothe and Ruby Park. First time feature director Derrick Perry shows he has the skills to make a quality movie and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
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