FALLOUT
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.7
Shown at the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema Running Length: 1:27 MPAA Classification: Not Rated (Profanity, violence, sex)
Cast: Claire Beckman, Mark Deakins, David Wasson, Keith Randolph Smith Director: Robert Palumbo Producers: Lisa Marie Russo and Sandy Lazovitz Screenplay: Robert Palumbo and Mark Gallini based on a story by Mark Gallini Cinematography: Wolfgang Held Music: Frank Ferrucci U.S. Distribution: in negotiation
With the disaster in Oklahoma City, it's no wonder that distributors are so interested in Robert Palumbo's debut feature, FALLOUT. The film centers around four characters trapped in an underground fallout shelter after their high-rise office building is devastated by an explosion. With no apparent escape route, these executives must overcome their natural distrust and antipathy for each other if they're to survive. But it's not easy, especially considering that one of them, Will (Keith Randolph Smith) has just been awarded the job of another, Dan (David Wasson), who was informed of his firing by hatchet-woman Rachel (Claire Beckman). The last member of the quartet is Joseph (Mark Deakins), Dan's young protege.
Actually, this film is far less about the explosion than about how the four victims cope with their situation, the inevitable feelings of hopelessness and alienation, and the realization that their continued existence depends upon each other. With a shooting budget of $90,000, Palumbo couldn't film a disaster movie, so he did his best to simulate the catastrophe with sound effects, smoke, and fire. FALLOUT reminds us that high-priced special effects aren't needed to create an exciting, involving story.
This film could be considered a thriller or a drama -- either is applicable. The taut atmosphere argues for the former; the character interaction for the latter. The hallmark of FALLOUT is how these four plan and plot against each other. The scene has shifted from the corporate boardroom to a dirty, poorly-lit basement, and the stakes are much higher, but too much water has flowed under the bridge for there to be any level of trust. Even though Will keeps appealing for a truce, neither Dan nor Joseph believes him.
Palumbo pays careful attention to fine detail. At six o'clock, all the wristwatch alarms go off -- it's time to go home. Cigarettes become expensive and water is more precious than gold. There's a concern about sanitation and privacy -- facets of human existence we rarely consider in our day-to-day lives. Of course, with the realization that there may be no rescue, the rules of civilization are stripped away, leaving behind four naked, barbarian souls.
One of FALLOUT's few failings is a too-facile ending. Another is the lack of character depth. While we get an excellent snapshot of all four executives in the shelter, we learn little about their lives outside. Do they have children? Are they married? Divorced? In some cases, it's possible to infer the answers, but Palumbo doesn't seem especially concerned about three-dimensionality. He's focused on these people as they are now, in the bunker.
The men and woman of FALLOUT must face the ultimate question of mortality: how to act if death is at hand. For three quarters of the film, Palumbo does an excellent job exploring the issue. With no food available, the characters' energy level is low, and this adds to the ominous sense of claustrophobia -- an atmosphere that becomes increasingly pervasive as the drama and tension build in tandem.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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