NOMINEE: (Zachary Wigon) Knight Marimbas Award, Miami Film Festival.
"Be careful what you wish for" was the saying that kept coming to mind as I immersed myself in the very intriguing play for the screen, SANCTUARY.
Let me explain. I say play for the screen because we spend 95 minutes with Hal (Christopher Abbott) and Rececca (Margaret Qualley) in an upmarket hotel room. It's played in 3 acts and very dialogue driven, incorporating a good deal of physical theatre. This does not distract from the film. I think it would be equally effective in either medium. The key to SANCTUARY is the lead performances and director Wigon (THE HEART MACHINE 2015) in only his second feature nailed his choices. Qualley (particularly Qualley) and Abbott are brilliant in this steamy set piece.
Put simply, Hal is a lonely, immature rich boy (family money) who can buy what he likes. In this case its the services of Rebecca. He requires her to dominate him, on appointment, via a series of set scenarios. We meet them months, maybe years into their arrangement. Some appointments are scripted. It may take the form of a job interview or a lovers argument but there are always mind games and their meetings are beginning to infect their minds. Most red-herrings come in the form of Rebecca's lies, thus neither we, nor Hal, are sure about all that is unfolding. Come act 2, Hal, through circumstance, has news re the future of their arrangement. It's here that the drama changes gear!
SANCTUARY, if enjoyed on the first viewing has the potential to be liked even more on the second. I'm still coming to conclusions about some of the sliding door moments that governed the ending. I think I can solve those queries with another viewing. I'm looking forward to Zachary Wigon's next effort. He creates a spell binding atmosphere here! 10GUMS.
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