WARNING! Spoilers ahead!
All of the drama and dialog throughout the first hour and fifteen minutes of the film are completely offset by the fact that, much like a Shakespearean tragedy, nearly everyone dies in the last 15 minutes. This is completely unexpected, but in a non-sequitur-type way, not a “gotcha!” way. In all of the dialog and drama that precedes it, there is no real indication given that Bear is desperate enough to suddenly go off and kill his partner, the tenants, and (maybe) Frank. The lead-up is too vague for the action that follows. This makes the story terribly lopsided, because there’s talking, talking, talking, all through the film, then BOOM! suddenly everybody’s dying. In order to make the ending work, at least one of these things must be indicated earlier in the film: 1.) Bear is greedy or in trouble, making him so desperate for the diamonds that he is willing to kill his partner and innocent people; 2.) Bear needs/wants the diamonds, but is so unsure of himself that he ends up panicking and killing people.
Visual Look
The visual look of the film was very good. Director Steve Saylor made great use of creative camera angles and lighting. Most of the camerawork in the film tended to be static, with very little movement other than pan-and-tilt to follow characters when necessary. But there were also several well-placed slow zooms throughout the film; because it didn’t occur very often and because the rest of the camerawork was mostly stationary, it helped to heighten the effect even more.
The use of light and shadow was also good, helping to augment the feel of the film. There were a few scenes toward the end (in the basement) where the colored lights were a bit too much, but overall, it was well done.
Use of Audio
The clarity of dialog in the film was excellent. The quality remained consistent throughout the film; the volume stayed even (there were a few times when the shouting got to be too much and one short scene that was a bit too quiet, but otherwise, it was fine); and the ambient sounds were appropriate, but didn’t override the dialog. The only problem I noticed with the ambience was in the scene where Frank is watching Diane and Bear kissing in the car; the sound of kissing can still be heard, even though Frank (and the audience) is standing well away from the vehicle.
However, the lack of a soundtrack is very problematic. The only music that is present is thin and electronic-sounding, without much to it. It plays at odd times, and not always where you would expect to hear it. There are times of important dialog and action, without music to back it up. To get an idea of what this is like, rent the original The Italian Job with Michael Caine. Throughout most of the heist and the getaway, there is almost no music at all! It is very weird, because with such intense visuals, you’d expect to hear music that adds to it… but there’s none there. It leaves the viewer with a feeling of vacancy, that there’s something missing.
A score of some sort is absolutely essential to a film, because it helps let the audience know how to interpret the scene. It doesn’t have to be very complicated, either. Oculus has a very basic soundtrack, but it is extremely effective. For a movie as dialog-heavy as Beat the Air, the score must be more developed and pronounced, as it helps the audience understand what is going on and not get overwhelmed by the talking.
