Pearl: The Assassin
DIRECTED BY: Guy Patton, WRITTEN BY: Guy Patton, Dana Patton, STARRING: Dana Patton, Bridget Fitzgerald, Justin Brown, RUN TIME: 80 minutes, RELEASE: 2015
Consumed by a horrific event in her past, a woman is driven to violent retribution, and soon discovers that there can be no getting even. Her only ally: a meth-making genius who manipulates her for his own ends while she wages a vigilante campaign against a powerful drug lord and his thug army. A detective, investigating a series of grisly homicides, begins to uncover the truth about her, and the role he himself played in her origins. But can he find her in time to stop the killing, and to save her from herself?
It's a matter of fact that Independent films are unfortunately a kind of niche market. More often than not, they are created on a zero to pocket-change budget and the filmmakers that put all they can into making them the best they possibly can just don't have the luxury of pumping millions of dollars into advertising, like the Hollywood extravaganzas. Most of them tend to get overlooked, and never get seen by as wide an audience as they deserve, and that's a shame because brilliant films like Pearl sadly go unnoticed by far too many people.
For me, the lack of budget used to put this film together is one of its strengths. By that I mean that you can see the dedication and care that went in to making it it as good as it could possibly be, and it is good. Very good. Pearl is undoubtedly a superb action thriller that had me captivated from start to finish. Despite it monetary restraints, the production value looks fantastic and doesn't serve as a crutch to its quality, in the least. It looks great, and Guy Patton has crafted a solid film that doesn't limp awkwardly throughout the journey of its story, but storms ahead with meaningful purpose and direction. What separates Pearl from its big budget counterparts is that it actually has a really well-thought-out story. It hasn't just been rushed together for the sake of 80 minutes of nothing but pointless violence, but instead has a wonderful back story-that is played out sporadically through flashback scenes that document the catalyst for 'Pearl's' path of revenge.
On that note; revenge and violence is certainly what you get in Pearl, in just the right doses. It never shifts to the unbelievable, but instead uses just the right amount to compliment the story and keep actions fans well and truly satisfied. 'Pearl' herself is a marvellously written character. She is a butt-kicking force to be reckoned with, whilst having an inner vulnerability and innocence that makes her more than just an avenging weapon. That being said, a nicely written character is all well and good, but if you don't have the right actor to portray her (or him) then that doesn't really mean a thing. Fortunately this film does not suffer with this problem at all. In the role of 'Pearl', Dana Patton is simply outstanding. As I have said before, it is so easy to both over-script and overplay a female lead in this genre, but with Dana that is far from the case. As the film's title character, Dana is magnificently engaging. She has a natural screen presence and convincingly delivers both 'Pearl's' tough and determined external persona, and her obvious softer-side and inner vulnerabilities. There is a great calmness and focus regarding her approach to vengeance, which Dana delivers beautifully.
Pearl doesn't rely purely on the strength of its main protagonist though, Dana's role is complimented perfectly by that of Scott Michael Morales as her meth-addict ally Erik. (Morales) adds a fantastic light-hearted balance to the mix of violence and emotion. He really is a character that you just can't help but love; a testament to Patton's scripting and Morales flawless and comical execution. In Erik, the casting of Scott Michael Morales was a wonderful choice, he really does add a great dynamic to the film, that makes Pearl all the more exciting to watch. There is also a delightful supporting cast that includes Justin Brown as the cocky drug-lord Tre, George Morafetis as Detective John Wyatt (I really liked his character), Jonathan Fernandez as CSI Trunks, and Jeff Kim as Daniel.
To sum up, Pearl is a much needed and welcome addition to the action/thriller genre that hits all the right notes. The scripting and direction are stellar, and it boasts wonderful performances from its cast. It has everything you want to keep you enthralled; action, revenge, violence, light-hearted comedy, drama and heart. Keep an eye out for this one. Pearl is a remarkable film. You won't be disappointed.