Fatherhood is a theme that has been explored countless times in cinema. The reverse relation of childhood is often overlooked in favor of the more relatable father's plight as a storyline. Brett Bentman's latest offering eschews traditional narrative conventions while delivering a science fiction mind bender that ruminates on what it means to be someone’s son. Featuring beautiful imagery, a heartfelt ensemble performance, and a genuinely refreshing approach to interstellar travel, Andromeda is an exciting independent foray into a genre that has largely been forsaken.
Aiden is
recruited by two shadowy agents to embark on a journey to find his father,
a journey that will take him beyond the limits of time and space. While
preparing and coming to grips with several truths, Aiden begins to question
everything he has ever known while also discovering who he really is.
This is a personal film, and easily Bentman's most emotional since 90
Feet From Home and Buckskin. Throughout his filmography,
Bentman and his crew have explored various themes, the bulk of which focus on
father and manhood. Initially this excursion feels like Ad Astra,
until the veil is removed and Bentman's purpose is fully revealed. While
the long-lost father concept is tried and true, the way in which Aiden is fully
explored and dissected is masterful, allowing the viewer a sense of closure and
hope in the end that is both unexpected and satisfying.
Jeff Hamm's brilliant
cinematography blends notions of Malick with Hamm's own sense of space and
color and the result is a trove of luscious visuals. This is the first
film from Bentman where the possibility of danger isn't present in virtually
every frame; it is instead replaced with a sense of longing and hopefulness
that only enhances the experience. This is made possible by Tim Llewelyn's
heartfelt turn as Aiden. His interplay with Tom Zembrod's Sharp and
Michael Dooley's McGrady is the heart's blood of the story and the three do an
amazing job at revealing secrets and keeping others close to the
chest.
Ultimately, this is a sci-fi story like no other. While it builds upon
previously used concepts, the way in which Bentman and his team subvert
expectations and double down on the absolute humanity of the premise is
masterful and the yield is a sublime marriage of action and poignancy in which
love, be it child to parent or parent to child is the most powerful resource in
the cosmos.
Coming soon to digital rental, Andromeda is another powerful entry in Brett Bentman's ever growing filmography. For a first foray into one of the more complicated genres, the B22 team have outdone themselves by creating a fast-paced mind trip that aims for the heart and strikes true. Using a talented cast and a formidable crew, thee artists turn a shoestring, chamber piece into a heavy futuristic saga that shows, no matter the time or place, the power of family will always keep the universe alive.
--Kyle Jonathan