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‘Gazer’ Review: Promising Self-Financed Directorial Debut From a Former Electrician
'Gazer' filmmaking couple Ryan J. Sloan and Ariella Mastroianni co-write an impressive low-budget noir, where he directs and she acts.
This is the promising jumping-off point for a stylish low-budget mystery, directed by electrician-turned-filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan, which finds time along the way to riff on everything from “Memento” to “Videodrome.” In the best traditions of film noir, the initial offer which will help the protagonist out of a tough spot seems too good to be true. Also consistent with the genre, the lead is lugging a hefty consignment of painful emotional baggage as she goes about the rest of her business — in this case, a tragedy tied to the loss-by-suicide support group she attends, where the relatives of people who killed themselves open up and share their feelings. She has one of those compelling faces where you can make out the elegant shape of her skull, with pixie cut, high cheekbones, a strong but delicate jawline and large eyes with haunted late-night shadows contributing to a character who is a well-judged mixture of tough and fragile.
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