source: Albatross

Toss in some vintage Douglass Sirk, a dash of Todd Haynes, a dollop of Mamet'esque/James Ellroy snappy dialogue & you have the Albatross aesthetic:) This is a brilliant, original film that manages to achieve a varied array of tonal shifts that go from creepy & hallucinatory to Merchant/Ivory class study... Obviously, others will have problems with the fact the film isn't declaring itself as just 'one thing': thriller, horror, LGBT, romance, etc. The filmmaker has created a most fascinating mise en scene in this multi-character study, which vacillates from a 'coming out of the closet' to Cassavetes- like journey of personal discovery with Katherine Gauthier (a star in the making, her performance is brilliant here) as the Gena Rowlands like heroine... Combine that w/ an almost Mamet-esq cadence & witty banter, however Boston Brahmin instead of Chicago. Yes, after a few viewings, once the clever tonal audacity has settled, one can easily spot a plot hole or two, but it should not deter any cinephile from really discovering a new voice in Film. It's my sincerest hope Director (obviously w/ an incredible background in Production Design as he put his talents to work turning his parents humble abode in Ontario to a swank mansion of sorts... all on a shoestring during COVID), Myles Yaksich gets to make another film w/ more tools at his disposal. He's an amazing talent & can't wait to see what he does next!

The movie "Albatross" is in simple words a disaster. The plot doesn't make sense, the dialogues are empty and laughable, and the acting could not be better due to such a poor script. Director and writer Myles Yaksich tries to create a complex, dramatic, and suspenseful movie but gets lost in the excess. All the characters seem so out of place that it's impossible to create a relationship between them. It's really hard to understand why a young couple ends up having dinner with a dysfunctional family and worst how the young author ends up having a psychiatry session during their dinner. Those are just some examples of absurdities in the movie. The director also fails miserably to discuss the themes of homosexuality and racism during the 50s in America. NOT recommended at all.

The bad: C-listed actors. Yes, that's the really bad part about this "movie". More bad: this is simply yet another cheaply made television product sold to us viewers as a "movie", but it doesnt even come close to being a movie. No suspense. No drama. No spark or punch. Totally BLAND.

I watched this movie on accident as part of a film festival, knowing only the title and nothing else, and i'm so glad that I did. I really appreciated how different this movie is to ones i've seen previously and it was nice watching a movie that kept me engaged and curious the whole time. It touches on a lot of subjects that still are relevant today, without feeling like it's got some agenda to push on you. Speaking to the filmmaker after the movie, I learned this movie was created and filmed during the peak of COVID, and the restrictions that created I think really made for a unique and special movie. It also features stage actors, as opposed to film actors, which makes for a different viewing experience - and i'd love to see more movies like this. Throughout the whole movie I kept thinking I had it figured out, only to keep finding out that I wasn't even close. The characters are complex, and I found it nearly impossible to pick one single favorite and "root for them" the entire film, as their dynamics are constantly changing. I bought this movie on iTunes, and i'm looking forward to watching it again, and seeing what else I can pick up on that I missed the first time around. I think this is a movie that would be worth watching a few times. This movie also portrays drug use (LSD), but not in a way i've ever seen, in fact, i'm not sure i've ever seen LSD used in a movie. I found this to be really interesting in it's approach, especially given the time period it's set. It was engaging to see how the LSD affected the character development It really fits well with the story, and likely wasn't an uncommon substance to be used during this time in the medical/research field. This movie made me anxious and uncomfortable - wanting to go in and help the characters out of their situations. It's powerful to watch a movie and feel compelled to enter the set. I really commend the whole team on what they were able to accomplish, and definitely recommend giving this movie a shot.

I found this film to be quite bizarre at first. Wasn't sure where it was going in the first segment of it. But as it continued, I began to understand that the film is a bit like peeling an onion. You find more and more layers, and begin to see how these people are each connected to each other. I definitely enjoyed that aspect of it. It all takes place in one night in one location. Not sure if that's due to the budgetary or what, but it didn't feel claustrophobic on my viewing. The themes seem to resonate with topics that we are all chatting about today. I enjoyed getting a perspective on those topics from the past. The performances were fun even though I didn't recognize any of the actors... I still got into the story. Visuals were fun and impressive despite being in one house. Reminded me of Who's afraid of Virgina Wolf. Sound and music were excellent. Perhaps not a film for everyone, but I very much enjoyed it.

I gave this a chance entirely because of the film poster, which looked intriguing, but unfortunately could not get all the way through it. Nicely shot, if on an obviously tight budget, and passable TV-level acting, but it failed to grab the attention at any point, so most of my thinking started being taken up with trying to figure out what political point it was attempting to lecture me on, and who put up the money for it. On the surface, it seemed to be all about homosexuality and race relations in 1950s America - although the depictions felt very anachronistic - but the characters were so flat and lifeless, and the dialogue so trite, I honestly couldn't focus in on it and so eventually gave up. I've really no idea why this was made, or who believed in it enough to pay the bills: my best guess would be that it's a wealthy person's vanity project, or some kind of student film made on a grant handed out for its unclear but box-ticking social content. Oddly puzzling but very boring.

I had no idea what to expect going in, but the emotional twists and turns had me guessing where the story was going the entire time. The second half of the film really picks up and the dominos start falling, one after another! And what an ending, didn't see it coming! This is one that will make you think!

Despite having complex and important social issues embedded into this film, love is the true driver of this piece as we watch 2 couples maneuver in a society that is unyielding to certain appearances. Sometimes a slice of life is exactly that. A slice, a peak into how people deal with circumstances and challenges in a world where there is no real right or wrong, regardless of what the popular opinion is. This film beautifully displays struggles in different generations, different genders and different races and displays them for us to experience. The actress playing Carol steals the show as she demonstrates the pain and confusion while maintaining a happy face throughout. Very rarely can an actor in such circumstances also become the comic relief as she lifts the film into lighter notes as if she were trying to protect the audience as she does herself.

Trailer—Albatross