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DVD The Advocate
 Rating: 4.6 Genres: Crime | Mystery | Thriller Director: Tamas Harangi Writers: Tamas Harangi Stars: Sachin Mehta, Kristina Klebe, Steffinnie Phrommany |
| Storyline A grieving defense attorney gets caught in a twisted game of who-done-it when he takes on the case of a beautiful socialite who is accused of murder. |
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| Plot Keywords: murder, boat, detective, lawyer, courtroom | |
| Details: Country: USA Release Date: 28 February 2013 (USA) |
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I had the chance to see The Advocate at the 2013 Dances With Films Festival, and a few months later I'm still thinking about it.
Despite being a low-budget indie, The Advocate is neither your typical festival piece, nor a straight up genre slasher. The film is quite polished and restrained for a thriller, which is really to say it's smartly written, directed, acted, and yes, edited–that can never be underestimated with a small film like this.
True to the genre, the story has its fair share of twists and turns, so I don't want to give too much away, but aside from being a compelling murder mystery, it's also a deeply psychological tale about the pain of loss. And that sadness is superbly conveyed by lead actor Sachin Mehta, who heads a memorable cast that truly reflects the multi-cultural identity of LA. To top it off, the performances are underscored by a penetrating soundtrack that sails through the ethereal yet fierce territory of a nouveau-noir world riddled with deceit, loneliness, and revenge.
Thankfully, it's not all heavy duty. The Advocate also boasts those playful Hitchcockian moments of comic release. And the dialog isn't the only thing bouncing, there are some great glares going around, too. I'd like to see a mash-up of all those suspiciously sultry looks lending themselves to some good old campy fun.
Ultimately, the best thing about this flick is that it sticks with you. With all the layers of the mystery, it's the type of movie you want to talk about afterward, and maybe even revisit to study the clues once again.
Is Allyson Dougherty guilty or not? It's a simple question at the heart of The Advocate. But the bigger question is what will her attorney Ray Shekar do once he finds out the truth. And how far will he go to find the truth? The Advocate poses an interesting moral question: Can there be absolute justice? It answers it in a thrilling and thought provoking way.
My rating of nine comes in the context of its budget. Having seen so many of these low budget thrillers over the years, this ambitious movie stands tall. Not only is the story compelling, it looks great, with an amazing score and incredible pacing. By no means is it perfect, but one can't really compare low budget films with big budget studio fare. A really interesting part of the story here is that these are first time filmmakers with limited resources. What they produced was amazing, and I can't wait to see what they do next.
The Advocate is a terrific criminal mystery film produced on a limited budget and excels in both categories. This film was well paced, with continual twists and turns that keep you fully engaged. Sachin Meta agonizes throughout, yet at times is also cool and in charge and at other times determined and doomed in his search for Absolute Justice. Is Kristine Klebe a beautiful heroine or is she a murderer; her story plays with you, at times you are sympathetic and at other times you are suspicious or disbelieving. It is a fascinating journey. The Advocate was remarkably well produced given its limited budget; and hard to imagine how much more powerful it could have been as a full blown Hollywood-style production. I would see it again.
I've loved this genre since I was a little kid and the Advocate doesn't disappoint. First we have the moody music, which was nuanced without being cheesy. The editing was sharp. Then we have the Los Angeles locations, which is great given that most films are done in Canada with generic city settings trying to pass themselves off as Los Angeles. I find these films don't get the spirit of a city. There's thought and logic in the dialogue. I've seen the film twice with different sets of friends. After the second viewing I picked up more of the subtleties, which made it even richer. Is it a big budget film no. Does the Advocate tell a good story yes. Is it worth seeing? Most definitely. In this genre it's important not to pander to the audience. Good films make us think and don't provide summary dialogue or laugh tracks running throughout the film. They take us into their world for a few hours. And I enjoyed my time here.