Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Failure!’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Ted Raimi as James in Alex Kauham’s ‘Failure!’. (Photo Courtesy of Spacebrain Entertainment.)

It is definitely safe to say, that we live in quite the divisive and frustrating time. Because for some reason, old haunts hang heavy over our world, the kind that we as a society thought we overcame and buried… and we are also at a point in human history where riches untold are out in the world… but not everyone is able to enjoy their spoils and benefits. For so many are mired in struggle and are sometimes unable to afford basic living services and needs, while there are others out there… who enjoy a ridiculously lavish lifestyle. Which has divided the world into the haves and the have nots, and the haves care little about what happens to anyone else, and that has brought forth some understandable frustration over the past couple of decades. The kind that just so happens to be boiling over as the days continue along.
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Because people are eager for change and in need of help at a time when Chief Executive Officers and Billionaires enjoy riches untold while some people cannot afford a loaf of bread or a house payment and that has brought forth calls for that change, in a loud and vocal manner. And such discussions have also left us wondering… why change hasn’t come to the world… and why these individuals continue to grasp and clutch at every dollar and dime when they could in fact, do good in this world and make it a better place since hey… you can’t take the cash with you. But instead, frustrations still grow, simply because these folks just worry about their balance sheet, and that also leaves us wondering… why? Why go this route and be this way and well, it just so happens that a new motion picture that premiered at FrightFest on August 28, explores the very answers to those questions.

Which makes Failure! quite the unique and fascinating story. For it simply takes us, into the world of a CEO named James, who is dealing with quite the crisis when we are introduced to him. For he is struggling financially after spending years enjoying the fruits of inherited wealth and he must now decide what to do with his family’s company and factory. Because holding onto a legacy will lead to financial ruin, but selling off the factory will keep his lifestyle alive and well… he truly does battle what path to take. Simply because… he cannot fathom a life where it is one or the other, and his path toward the hard call is further complicated by the reality, that others now see this as an opportunity to enjoy their slice of what’s left of a rotten pie. Now, at first glance… that is a plot that seems grounded more in a reckoning of sorts, instead of a character study and analysis on what drives men like this.

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Because such a reality would indeed force an everyman to really ponder upon their life choices and who they are and what they stand for. And that’s precisely where this film… begins to dive into those all-important questions. Simply because… we come to learn as this film goes along that James only cares about image and money and that brings forth a fascinating character study. One that explores how men like James and the other rich buffoons of the world, are forged and taught horrible lessons about how to live and how to function. The kind that allows for them to be deeply out of touch with the everyday world, to the point where what they value is vastly different than the rest of us, and they go through the motions often to appear as though they care about what everyday folks do. When in fact, it’s just about the money and legacy, and standing for them.
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Which more or less puts forth a story that informs us, it will require change on a more fundamental level to even things out and really put guys like this in their place. Because they are devoid of empathy and devoid of the emotional wealth others carry. Which in many ways makes this movie an angry tragedy, one that engenders only disdain and pity, since none of the characters here are redeemable or worth rooting for, but that is the point. This is supposed to be a raw look at the men of the world that hide behind their money and power, and it truly is mission accomplished there, and one big reason this motion picture works so well and sells its bleak examination of what makes a Billionaire or CEO tick… are the performances. For they are raw and visceral, and truly… it’s one man that leads the charge regarding this: Ted Raimi. For he plays James in this tale and is simply sublime in the role, courtesy of the realism and gravitas he brings to the character, and the wonder of this movie doesn’t end there.

Because it is also a technical marvel. One that accomplishes something that two classics attempted to bring to life. For Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope and Josh Becker’s Running Time, were designed to make it seem as though they were filmed in a single take. But this particular movie, WAS shot in a single take. Which is incredible to say the least but speaks to the talent on display and behind the camera, and that also allows for a genuine intensity to play out here and… that makes for a supremely engaging experience, one that grabs hold and does not let go and well, in the end… this is quite the impressive motion picture. For it is poignant and powerful, and it truly offers up a fascinating examination of people in our world that are in many ways mysterious, and it really does inform us of the strange world they live in, and how it will take some hard action to get them to come crashing back down to reality.

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