Reklaw
Critic:
Swati Verma
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Posted on:
Apr 29, 2022
Directed by:
Polaris Banks
Written by:
Polaris Banks
Starring:
Lance Henriksen, Tasha Guevara, Bill StinchComb
The writer-director Polaris Banks believes in the idea of eradicating crime from society and not the criminals. Reklaw becomes a medium of expressing concern about the modern- day criminal justice system. The narrative of the film is written with the humanitarian perspective in mind.
The plot of this crime drama revolves around a rogue prosecutor and his team of uniquely talented criminals disillusioned by the justice system destroying evidence to keep as many people from prison as possible but when one of their crime scene cleanups is revisited by the killer, the strength of conviction is tested.
A combination of extreme close-up, close-up, and mid-shot is used by the DOP Robert Nachman to showcase the details of planning taking place. The dim lighting technique is utilized by the filmmaker to elevate the elements of mystery, thrill, drama, and dark comedy in the storyline. A well-researched portrayal of the prison cell and the prisoners living in it give a sense of realism to the cinematic piece. The special glasses worn by the Lott's team symbolizes that they are happy to assist people with criminal past to get on to the path of redemption without judging them. The crime scenes are very well constructed with the use of blood, guns and alcohol maintaining the foundation of film as a crime thriller and not losing the crux of the movie while experimenting with idea of cross-genre.
Now let's discuss the performance in the film, Tasha Guevara plays Melissa who defines the modern woman and the audience also sees the vulnerable side of Melissa as the storyline progresses. Guevara illustrates the internal fight between what is morally right and what is not and attempts to find a possible solution to it effortlessly.
Lance Henriksen as Lott is a person who wants to stay true to his dramatic need in the film. Henriksen uses his firm voice to reiterate the fact that he is the anchor of the narrative responsible to keep it together. He handles various tricky situations with apt reasoning. Lance Henriksen picks up all the nuances of the senior prosecutor and gives the audience to learn from watching Lott in the film.
Bill Stinchcomb is Marshall (Melissa's husband). Marshall comes across as a villain in the story but the viewers empathize with him as the film inches towards its climax. Stinchcomb depicts the physical and emotional turmoil so efficiently. Bill Stinchcomb breaks the stereotype that men are not supposed to be vocal about how they feel.
Reklaw debates the notion of right, wrong and social justice. It believes in love and unconditional forgiveness being the two most important elements to allow the miscreant to heal and prove to be beneficial for the community. The short film teaches the viewers to have faith and find positivity and spread it so that the world becomes a better place to live in for all. The movie talks about the need for determination and courage to stand up against what's wrong and give the wrongdoer a chance to rectify their behavior.