A Crooked Somebody (2017) Reviews

• here to help

  ferguson-62018-10-03

  Greetings again from the darkness. The lust for fame is really just a plea for acceptance. In director Trevor White's film, the lead character, Michael Vaughn, wreaks of desperation for acceptance ... from the public, from his associate, and mostly from his Pastor-Dad. Unfortunately, the path Vaughn chooses is simply the first of many bad decisions. In fact, the film is really a chronicle of the downward spiral of Michael Vaughn's bad decisions. Rich Sommer (Harry Crane in "Mad Men") plays Michael Vaughn, a psychic who tours the country peddling his book and his "act". And yes, it's an act. It's such an act, that it could be considered a scam. However, Michael focuses on connecting the living with their beloved dead ones, so his (sparse) audience is filled with those who want to believe he is legitimate. His assistant-associate-accomplice-would be and one time lover is played by Joanne Froggatt. Her job is to prevent Michael from becoming despondent over the lack of book sales, and also to be his audience-plant when a session gets stalled. The bulk of the story revolves around Nathan (Clifton Collins, Jr), a man who believes Vaughn has connected to a man Nathan killed. In trying to clear his conscience, Nathan wants Vaughn to use his talents to help Stacy (Amanda Crew), the now-grown daughter of the man Nathan killed. Instead of focusing on "helping" those involved, Vaughn seizes the opportunity to put himself in the spotlight ... gaining notoriety as the psychic who helped solve a long-ago murder case. And no, this isn't the final bad decision Vaughn makes. He manages to make things much worse. Real life married couple Ed Harris and Amy Madigan play Vaughn's parents - the one's he so wants to win respect from. The script from writer Andrew Zilch offers some pretty decent on screen tension, though it strains a bit too much in places - even with a worthy and relatable central idea. It's human nature to desire acceptance (especially from loved ones) ... though it takes a flawed personality to strive for fame and celebrity (especially at the cost of core values). Here's hoping you don't see too much of yourself in Michael Vaughn.

• Psychic Treat

  omendata2018-11-04

  This is how a thriller should be written. Although it has the look and feel of a tv movie; even the sound effects, music and feel were all very 1970/80's don't let that put you off, it is so much more. For once we have a good story and clever writing throwing morals and honesty at every turn to make the viewer think, superb acting from virtually every character, involving and intriguing story that keeps you guessing and wanting more and the finale was for once not a let down and a joy to behold. Even the title music at the end topped the film off for me - Reminiscent of an old Jim Reeves tune. The whole movie was crafted to play out like a TV murder mystery you used to watch on a Saturday night but with a lot of aplomb, polish and craft.

• Better than I expected

  keyope2019-01-24

  This was another one of those films that showed up on Sky Movies Premiere and I recorded it expecting to delete it after about 20 minutes, which is what usually happens if it's a film I've not heard of before. But A Crooked Somebody was one of the 5% that I managed to watch all the way through. What this film has going for it is its unpredictability. It frequently surprised me, often not going the way I expected, taking a left turn instead of a right. It's rare to find a film like that these days because everything seems to be dumbed down for people who can't handle anything that doesn't stick to a formula. The lead actor was someone I hadn't seen before and at first I was a little put off, thinking he wouldn't be able to carry the film, but he does. In fact he really grew on me as the film went on. All of the performances in this film are good, and there's even an appearance from Daniel Larusso's mom and the girl from Sex Drive (who I've never seen in anything else, but she's good in this too). The plot in a nutshell sees a dodgy psychic, Michael Vaughn get caught up in an absurd Ben Stiller style comedy, although there's no slapstick humour here, it's a dark thriller, but Vaughn repeatedly makes bad decisions and tells lies that lead to more lies. His female sidekick acts as his conscience, which helps to make it believable when he discusses his plans with her, listens to her advice and then usually ignores it, leaving you shaking your head. The whole thing escalates quite magniificently without ever taking a mis-step that leaves you rolling your eyes. The script is solid and I found myself really rooting for Vaughn even though he's a weasel. The only negatives I can come up with are that on a couple of occasions the film dragged for a few minutes, but fortunately it always recovered. And although I couldn't predict how it was going to end, I found the ending a little disappointing. It tied everything up perfectly, but because of how the film had gone up to that point I was hoping for something a little more original. But those minor gripes aside, this film is a breath of fresh air and worth your time, in my opinion.

• Offbeat and Wickedly Funny Satire

  lavatch2018-12-02

  "A Crooked Somebody" is a sleeper with a great set of quirky characters and offbeat humor. On one level, the film is a satire of psychics, as the focal point is the character of the charlatan Michael Vaughn. Michael and his sneaky partner Chelsea prey upon those gullible souls who attend his seminars and seek to commune with the dead. Michael is always looking for the right angle, and he keeps doubling down on exploiting people until he reaches the endgame. The showdown comes in the sleepy community of Lone Valley, Nevada. It is there that Michael seeks notoriety and riches in a sensational interview of an orphan with her deceased father. Michael is working in cahoots with a shady character named Nathan, who killed Stacy's dad, but became tortured by guilt over the years. Nathan at first kidnaps Michael to help him seek atonement, then is duped into believing that Michael is a genuine psychic. The most intriguing relationship in the film is that of Michael and Nathan. Michael tries to turn the tables on Nathan by exploiting the murder and leading a news crew to the site where Nathan buried the body. Chelsea becomes a player when she appears to be working in league with Michael to promote the fantastical story. Ed Harris's small role of Michael's father, a pastor, who considers Michael to be the prodigal son, is one of the many carefully crafted small roles in the film. The father delivers the moral message of the film when speaking the following words to Michael both as a minister and a father: "It's better to be an honest nobody than a crooked somebody." Of course, Michael does not heed the advice. Other well crafted roles include a pair of wily police officers working the beat in Lone Valley and a sassy motel proprietor, whose character nearly steals the show. It is a great cast and a noble effort in creating a clever dark comedy. Kudos to the producers of this modest but creative film!

• black comedy en masse'

  ops-525352018-10-12

  Well, a nice film this was, with every aspect of the black comedy genre in it. the acting are good,so are the filming and locations. haVe n mind that youll need to use your fantasy to absorbe the core of this feature.psycic powers are the keyword ,also murder,kidnapping and extortion. there are no glamour or extravagancy in this flick,just good old and plain acting,with a nice script and editing.