Trespass Against Us (2016): Review
It is truly bewildering when a project has all the makings for something sublime and yet upon viewing the final product so little of that potential ultimately feels utilised. Although superior to their previous collaboration, Trespass Against Us, the second film to feature both Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson, in a sense bears resemblance to their previous endeavour in Assassin’s Creed, as both films correlate within the same issues it thematically succumbs to. With a story that provides minimal tension, it eventuates into meandering melodrama. All the while, illuminated by characters as unsympathetic as they are uninteresting. As while it is not execrable, Trespass Against Us is nonetheless an unmoving and prosaic affair.
Michael Fassbender portrays Chad Cutler, a family man entrapped in the ideologies and lifestyle of his criminal father, Corby (Brendan Gleeson). A victim of his upbringing, Chad has had little ability to divagate from the family order of reckless transgressions and a life dictated to crime. Yet, with the fear of a similar path destined for his children, Chad aims to escape his criminal bloodline with the hope of a more wholesome life. Ultimately, sparking a generational conflict as his father, desperate to resume archaic control, holds no intention for any departures, subsequently, drawing the law into Chad’s exigent plight.
Despite material that emitted promise, there is nothing overly grandeur throughout Trespass Against Us and that is predominately inflicted by a heavily misguided and flat storyline. Visibly, no traditional plot can be cited from the film as instead we have a plethora of subplots that appear to have been amalgamated to pass as one flowing narrative. While what could make for a fine vignette, sadly feels uninspired throughout a ninety minute duration. That is due largely, to the fact that the story never summates to anything overly compelling. The stakes are raised in such a trivialized notion, consequently, forcing the film to amass a disposition of digressive grunge.
This problem is most emphatic when the biggest thematic selling point of the film, in essence, is rather undernourished. Trespass Against Us touts itself on a tenacious battle between father and son, two generations of criminals coming to odds. Yet, in reality this ideological quarrel eventuates into nothing close to climatic. What should be a battle is short-handed to Chad being afraid to stand up to his father. How is that for tension? The answer is non-existent. Instead of watching stakes rise we endure a thirty year old man being told what to do by his father repeatedly. The attempts at suspense are water-treaded making for a film devoid of both spectacle and resonance. The story languishes in a drab fare, not developing themes nor excitement to a monotonous consequence.
Another poignant mishap has to be centred towards the film’s characterisation as all these personas present a near antithesis of what crafts a multi-faceted, engaging and compelling character. This is most exemplary in Michael Fassbender’s lead, Chad Cutler. The ideals imbued in this character (that the audience has been informed of) is that he wishes to defy and retreat from the criminality absorbing his family’s life as well as his own. Yet, within the following scene he can be seen causing mayhem on the streets with a grin from ear to ear. Trespass Against Us displays characters not only lacking in depth and complexity but ones, more damningly, with aberrant propensity. With characters constantly alternating between various emotions and motivations, the developments feel relentlessly abrupt. Summated by the film’s writing, the characters play as one-dimensional. With figures not nearly explored enough to understand their irrational thinking nor the ability to garner compassion for them. Providing a drawback from what could be evocative to instead be protagonists you barely care about.
Yet, ironically, the highlights of Trespass Against Us are the performances. As even with all the issues rooted in both narrative and characterisation, Fassbender and Gleeson, especially, do all in their power to bring some measure of gravitas to the tiresome thematic concerns on display. These two are the only performers really given the opportunity to shine, amidst a script that does little to elevate the supporting characters and the more fundamental issue in that its mediocrity makes for such little catharsis on screen. However, with what little that was given, the effort by these performers do not go unnoticed. While Fassbender works hard, Gleeson is the standout. Given the most substance, Gleeson articulates an aggressive, punctilious demeanour, a figure reveling in the criminal domain in which he is clearly the king. In addition, the musical score by The Chemical Brothers is winsome. Furthermore, for a first time director, Adam Smith excels in the action sequences displaying a vigorous gusto.
Apart from that, however, the incoherent strangeness exhibited throughout Trespass Against Us proves to be the nail in the coffin. With not an inch of complexity and yet bathed in an attempted pensive tone, the end result is a banal misfire. Suffering from a lack of insightful characters and an evidential irresoluteness in what style of story it aims to convey, Trespass Against Us wreaks of opportunity but with minimal exploitation. With no path overly focused on, the film’s scattershot nature makes it appear destined to do nothing more but quickly fade into obscurity. Proving a major disappointment due to the talent attached but with an outcome lacking in both profundity and engrossment.
Grade: C-
