Failure Movie (2023 Film)

Failure Movie (2023 Film) Costs

• Ted Raimi as James
• Merrick McCartha as Mr. Serge
• Noel Douglas Orput as Unknown Man
• Melissa Diaz as Maria
• Christin Muuli as Jessica
• Daniel Kuhlman as Alvar
• LeVar Michael as Robert
• Spencer Langston as JP. Jr.
• John Paul Medrano as Michael
• Ernest Cavazos as Slavko
• Joe Barra as Nicolas
• Chris Paul Morales as Juan
• Alex Sands as Charles
• Hyeong Choi as Takuma

Failure Movie (2023 Film) Premise

Alex Kahuam wrote and directed the Mexican-American crime comedy Failure! in 2023. The film’s main actors are Ted Raimi, Christin Muuli, Melissa Diaz, Noel Douglas Orput, and Merrick McCartha.

Failure Movie (2023 Film) Summary

The proprietor of a heavily indebted plastics manufacturer is James (Ted Raimi). Often viewed from the sidelines by an odd source, our not-likable protagonist must decide whether there is a way to safeguard his family and prevent financial ruin when a meeting with a representative from his bank results in no additional funds being granted. To what extent will James go? To put it bluntly, I did not love director/writer Alex Kahaum’s debut film, Forgiveness, which I reviewed a few years ago. I’m happy and relieved to be able to state that Failure! Does not live up to its deceptive title. That was then, and this is now. In terms of setting up a clear critique, I’m reminded of the Andy Warhol movie “Bad.”

Raimi creates a fully rounded character who is both genuinely charming when he wants to be and coldly detached when the situation calls for it. The opening quote about protecting the people you love, even protecting them from yourself, prepares the audience for James being a naughty guy, especially considering some of the actor’s previous filmography. It’s a well-restrained portrayal that is remarkably devoid of hysteria and permits some humorous, barely concealed contempt for some (most?) of the people he encounters.
The plot moves along satisfactorily, and the setting is large enough to allow for enough detours to prevent things from becoming overly stagey, but having the entire story take place in one location over one take could have resulted in an experience where the experiment’s concept ends up being far more interesting than its execution. Additionally, even if there are occasional pauses in getting the story to close to the hour and a half point, Raimi is always there to command attention and maintain interest.

Maybe I would have liked Failure!’s antihero even more if James had been an outright bastard, but I understand the choices made about where his dilemma should take him. The asides about James’ involvement in planning a family wedding don’t add much to the proceedings, but at least they feature a few beautiful scenes with screen daughter Maria (Melissa Diaz), as well as a third act reveal about James’ loyal employee Carlos.
This is the traditional setup of a man who finds himself in a difficult situation that may not be wholly his own doing and the actions he takes to try to get out of it, hopefully keeping his smart suit clean in the process. The story isn’t full of twists and turns, but it doesn’t have to be. Having the silent, powerful Slavko (Ernest Cavazos) at your disposal to aid you through life’s more challenging times is beneficial.

All things considered, this is bold, free-flowing cinema that is worth your time, even though the unexpectedly subdued finale lacks emotional impact (though the last phrase does have some relevance). I was so engrossed in what was happening that I didn’t notice the plot wasn’t cutting away after just a few minutes, and it never tangles itself up in knots to follow the “one shot” technique. Although it’s more of a darkly humorous thriller than a straight-up horror film, fans of the genre will probably like Ted Raimi’s prominent role throughout. Try it; you don’t want Slavko to arrive at your house.

Failure Movie (2023 Film) Production

One 87-minute take was used to shoot the movie.[1] According to Raimi, the entire principal photography process, from rehearsal to the final take, took three days.[2] With the film, Kahuam became the first Mexican director to produce a one-shot feature film in the United States.

Failure Movie (2023 Film) Reviews

It has become a bit of a cliché to show a film as if it were shot in a single take. Most of the time, it does more harm than good to the project. A notable exception is the recent Medusa Deluxe, whose swarm of vibrant characters perfectly complements the rat-a-tat intensity of the filming and adds nuance to a snappy storyline. In contrast, Alex Kahuam’s Failure! Primarily exploits the concept of a single take to demonstrate how long a person can hold the camera without losing it. Although shaky cam is an intriguing option for a straightforward scene with two actors conversing while seated in a room, it is regrettably a noticeable problem throughout.
Several characters visit James’s lavish mansion in Failure! in an attempt to pressure him into making a choice. Additionally, he is forced to attend a fitting for his oldest daughter’s wedding, which not only doesn’t go as planned but also seems oddly hurried. In contrast to at least two other characters who notably stumble on their lines, Raimi remains onscreen for the full 87 minutes without missing a beat. Even the screenplay, which is incredibly lazy and consists of the characters standing around explaining the plot to each other while bizarrely repeating the protagonist’s name repeatedly, is elevated by the seasoned actor to a respectable level.
Failure! has no genuine stakes, no feeling of urgency, and no cohesiveness. With poor Raimi doing everything he can to add some believability to the proceedings, scenes simply drag on endlessly as James wanders from room to room and person to person. If it weren’t so embarrassing, everyone approaches the material as if they’re creating Succession, which would be humorous. The fact that all of the main actors are white guys only makes the situation worse. Although there are POC characters and one woman, their appearances are very brief and unimportant. It also feels more like box-checking than a sincere attempt at advancement because the performers are given a fraction of the screen time in contrast.