Review by John Delia
As each scenario plays out we get closer and closer to the reality in Volition. The film is a science fiction thriller that twists and turns to the final chapter. Well-acted and directed, once the storyline gets into your head you’ll be wanting more. It may be an indie, but the production value proves differently. If you like movies that create a mystery, has a lot of drama and maybe at least a smidgen of realism, check this one out on Digital and other streaming platforms.
James “Jamie†Odin (Adrian Glynn McMorran) finds himself again being late on his room rent and a visit by the collector wants the money by the end of the day. Now, something you need to know about Jamie is that he’s as good a con man at most any. What makes it easier for him to dupe others is that he can see into the future and replay it, and by the way his future is quite bleak. Going to see Ray (John Cassini), the guy he owes the money to, he gets an offer to resolve his debt to him. Because Ray is being watched by the FBI, he feels Jamie, who he knows has a special gift, can take millions in diamonds he has acquired dishonestly to a fence within 24 hours. Once delivered Jamie will get enough money to settle his debt that has reached thousands of dollars.
Sounds simple right? Well with Jamie nothing is simple. Director and co-writer Tony Dean Smith takes the premise and turns it into a wild ride. Hooking him up with Angela (Magda Apanowicz), a woman he saves from getting robbed, putting James under the watchful eyes of Ray’s ex-con brother Sal (Frank Cassini) and psycho Terry (Aleks Paunovic), and getting advice from his estranged foster father Elliot (Bill Marchant), Smith does a very good job of complicating matters. But, wait! If you looked up the definition of the word “volitionâ€, then you know it means making a conscious choice or decision. And the way Jamie gets pulled between each of the other characters, what’s the chances of Jamie making a good decision, let alone it being conscience?
The acting by the central cast is very good and makes the film work. Adrian McMorran puts Jamie on a track that could mean certain death, but he’s very confident that even without his special power it should be an “easy†task to deliver the diamonds. McMorran makes his character likable, but a sucker for helping others to the point of making bad decisions. When he falls for Angela however, you would think he finally has someone in his life that will give him a normal future, but even that is a chancy pill to swallow. I mean how could he screw that up? Right?
Volition has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains bloody violence, abrasive language, brutality and drug use.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good mystery with a sci-fi theme. (3.5 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Adrian Glynn McMorran , Magda Apanowicz , John Cassini, Frank Cassini, Aleks Paunovic, and Bill Marchant
Directed by: Tony Dean Smith
Written by: Tony Dean Smith and Ryan W. Smith
Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, violence, language, drug use
Running Time: 1 hr. 31 min.
Opening Date: July 10, 2020
Distributed by: Giant Pictures
Released in: Apple TV, Prime Video and other Digital Platforms