When Lucian (Noah Silver), his girlfriend Elizabeth (Olivia Crocicchia) and his friend Andrew (Christian Alexander) arrive at Andrew’s isolated and mammoth family home in rural Maine, they discover that their quiet weekend away will not be as quiet as expected. Andrew’s sister Miranda (Brittany Allen) and her artist boyfriend Gerald (Alex Beh) have taken up residence in the estate. In no time at all, Gerald has managed to drive away Andrew and Elizabeth with his abrasive personality and general douchebag persona.
Lucian stays behind, awkwardly engaging in conversation and getting bullied into a drunken poker game by Gerald, while Miranda looks on. Later in the evening, a loud and violent argument erupts between the couple, and Miranda throws Gerald out. Finding himself curiously drawn to her, Lucien stays through the weekend to keep Miranda company. Though, it soon becomes apparent that the pair my not be alone in the house. As the weekend progresses and their attraction grows, they notice evidence that Gerald my not have left the grounds after all, and may still be watching them from somewhere on the property. One of Gerald’s paintings begins changing in subtle ways, as an unseen artist begins altering it whenever their backs are turned.
On paper, Francisco Orvananos' BACKGAMMON could an interesting idea, pitting sexual tension against the backdrop of an increasingly unstable setting. Based on the novel Bloody Baudelaire by R. B. Russell (who also co-wrote the screenplay), the film strives to be a subtle thriller, playing off of the interpersonal tensions between the characters. The question of Gerald’s whereabouts is set up to provide an increasingly suspenseful scenario, and also seems to want to lead to deeper questions concerning one’s identity and sense of self.
In practice, it never quite unfolds like the clever thriller it wants to be. The story stumbles at every turn, failing to engage. Unfortunately, The essence of BACKGAMMON is really embodied by the character of Gerald – brash, overconfident and content to explain to you everything you don’t know, without first adequately understanding it himself. Subtle moments don’t play smoothly, big moments aren’t large enough, and the entire time, you are being led around by appallingly irritating characters. The cast doesn’t manage to carry the nuance or the chemistry necessary for these performances, which come across very heavy-handed, and strained.
And that’s to say nothing of the dialogue exchanges that make it clear the characters wish oh so desperately that they lived in an early 20th century English novel. They laze around, they quote French poetry incessantly and though the film plays at giving us an undercurrent of self-realization, we never get a chance to know these characters beyond their self-important facades.
The poor, rich 20-somethings may be bored, but it is no comparison to the boredom that comes with watching them, and BACKGAMMON fails to live up to its own expectations.
