Director: Berton Pierce.
Cast: David Masterson, Stephen Patrick Hanna, Gabrielle Miller.
Certificate: N/A
Running Time: 86 minutes
Synopsis: Two Irish clones are offered the chance to earn a lot of cash by transporting cargo to a polluted Earth.
Touted as an Irish road movie in space Adventurados is a rather unique film on most levels. Berton Pierce, responsible for the wonderful documentary Sense Of Scale which looked at the art of miniature model making for big movies. No surprise then that his feature length fictional debut is a love letter to such miniatures in a brave film that is entirely void of any CGI.
The miniatures themselves are magnificent, in a film that sees two Irish clones setting down their ship on the moon only to be offered a lot of money for a seemingly simple mission. Each set and prop is crafted with expert precision, and just captures that magical feel from days gone by. The interior sets are well frequented by all sorts of technical litterings, and the film has a very lived-in feel. All this adds to brilliant authenticity, and the magic of moviemaking comes alive once again. Knowing these ships exist somewhere and could be touched just makes the film that more enjoyable.
Although lovingly crafted, it is a shame that the film just wasn’t particularly enjoyable. Shot over 8 days, the human dialogue exchanges seems to lack that extra punch when delivering their comedic lines. A few hit the mark, but it can’t be blamed on the Irish accents, as I understood every word and actually found what was being said quite funny, just not the delivery. Surprisingly it’s when the film delves into some deeper themes that the dialogue shines, as the clones contemplate their existence and share their views seeing themselves as not all that important.
The twangy score made of mostly strings is a highly intrusive aspect that reduced the impact of many scenes. Sometimes it felt as though the music was going on forever, even in scenes where it needn’t take place. When it picked up the pace and began to be more than a few simple plucks, there was definitely some character to be found.
It’s hard to dislike Adventurados as it does exactly what we wish Hollywood was doing. Although it’s an admirable attempt there is little to enjoy as the limited cast don’t dominate their scenes, while all around them there is a much more interesting adventure going on in the walls and construction of the sets. The story is also very simplistic and even though it may feel like a comedy, the laughs are few and far between. Pierce’s intentions are noble, but perhaps somebody else will be needed in the future for the storytelling aspect.
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