DVD Review: Hide Away (2011)

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14, November 2012Home Video, Reviews

Cast: Josh Lucas, Ayelet Zurer, James Cromwell
Director: Chris Eyre
Country: USA
Genre: Drama
Official Trailer: Here

On paper, in terms of stats, Hide Away seems like a slam dunk for the players involved, both behind and in front of the camera. You’ve got the obvious talents of the cast, director Chris Eyre who’s no stranger to drama (Smoke Signals), and shiny button of approval from the SXSW festival for its cinematography provided by Elliot Davis (The Iron Lady). And the initial story is ripe for a drama showcase: a down-and-out businessman (Josh Lucas) departs from his initial reality to spend the next year shaping up an old boat. While he’s there he befriends an old sailor (James Cromwell) and the bay’s local restaurant owner (Ayelet Zurer), and they help cope with the horrible trauma he tries to overcome. See? Slam dunk, right?

…the initial story is ripe for a drama showcase: a down-and-out businessman (Josh Lucas) departs from his initial reality to spend the next year shaping up an old boat.

Well as ESPN has taught and showed us in the past, slam dunks are never a guarantee of anything. I’d like to thank this flick for showing us the cinema version of a missed slam dunk. Imagine watching a drama that almost refuses to take itself seriously by the mostly large post-production crew. It’s been argued for years and years that the job the behind-the-scenes crew provides doesn’t make or break the heart of a film; that the acting, writing and directing are the only important details that have to come through. If you’re like me and feel that’s just nonsense, and know someone who feels the opposite, show him or her this movie. It’ll change their minds. Then again, all bad jobs start from one of those important sources.

As dramatic as this sounds, I can’t imagine Hide Away successfully defending itself from being known as one of the most defectively edited movies in recent years. The movie’s barley 80 minutes and yet the team of Jonathan Lucas and Devin Maurer seemed just completely uninterested in forming something comprehensible. Cross-overs where fade to blacks should be, back and forth, and some of the most cumbersome scene cutting from a film that involves great talent just builds and builds and builds. Even a non-tech moviegoer can’t deny the ironic feeling of seasickness from all these farcical transitions. Then again, most of the time the editing choices come from the director, which, in this case, is even more alarming. Chris Eyre must have had this “flow” in his mindset because the off-putting shot comps and character direction stink up the place, right along with the cutting. Lucas, Zurer, Cromwell, none of them reach the range we all know they can reach. The word ‘subdued’ comes to mind a lot.

The vibe is there, and the intent is pure; to tell a solid drama. Something that might not be extravagant in its content, but is raw and powerful and possibly something we can all relate to.

However, if the director was trying to fit the tone of its screenplay, then he succeeded. That’s not a compliment though. Writer Peter Vanderwall, making his feature screenwriting debut, comes out of the gate with something fiercely limp and hesitant. The vibe is there, and the intent is pure; to tell a solid drama. Something that might not be extravagant in its content, but is raw and powerful and possibly something we can all relate to. I get that. But the cliché bug hits hard, and the hands of limitations seem to have its grasp on it. The end product is something not even fit for cable TV, and yet here we are. Awkward script, leads to an even more awkward direction, which leads to some really horrendous post-production work. It’s a vicious cycle.

The most upsetting aspect about Hide Away is, as it was mentioned before, the waste of an inspiring cast. Josh Lucas may not have the same blockbuster star status he had a few years ago but that takes nothing away from the skill the man obviously has. James Cromwell will always be a reliable wise soul for fine acting, and Ayelet Zurer should really be a breakout actress by now; she’s got what it takes. None of them shine here but it’s not their fault. It’s one thing for the uncertainty of a movie to hold back a cast’s potential, but it’s another thing to grind away the revelations, stripping it away to resemble something a hack thespian displays in a C-grade acting class. That’s just not right.

So wear your cinematography badge Hide Away, because that’s literally the only thing you’ve got going for you.

35/100 ~ AWFUL. Hide Away is a perfect example of how one bad domino can cause a reaction that’s just as horrible as the next. Depressing results that will make you thank something that it’s over.

Jaime Burchardt
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My head's been consumed the art of movies & its creation ever since I was old enough to know what the word 'consumed' meant. The only way to reduce the pressure buildup is to write, edit, and direct. Chocolate milk also helps.