Director: Zach LeBeau
Stars: Bill Sage, Adam LeFevre, Brittany Benjamin, Daniela Lavender, Jamie Elman
Rating: Unrated (Probably R for language)
Running time: 1 hour, 28 minutes
First-time director Zach LeBeau breaks the typical mold of science-fiction films with his debut effort, “The Scientist,” which was filmed in Omaha and Council Bluffs last year.
Instead of a movie laden with action, adventure, digital effects and fanciful visual riffs of imagination, LeBeau has made a very human story about connections: the ones between people, and the ones between science and belief. Its quiet pace, moody undercurrent and ambiguity won’t please everyone. But it could leave you with interesting notions to chew on.
As the story opens, the title character, Dr. Marcus Ryan (Bill Sage), is an angry, depressed recluse, fiddling with some kind of experiment in his basement that involves a whirling metal apparatus. Images of a woman (Daniela Lavender) and young girl (Quinn Kay) flash before us.
Marcus’ concerned friend, Alan (Adam LeFevre), looks in on Marcus, tries to drag him out of the house and back into life. But Marcus is fixated on getting parts to repair his basement machine.
A new couple moves into the house next door to Marcus. Jessica (Brittany Benjamin) feels ignored and neglected by her ambitious husband, David (Jamie Elman), who can’t seem to have a two-minute conversation without being interrupted by his BlackBerry and some business deal. She reaches out to her new neighbor but is avoided or rebuffed.
Gradually we learn that Marcus and Alan are experts in quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that delves into the possibility of independent parallel universes. Marcus is trying to use the science to reconnect with his wife and daughter, who died in an accident.
When Marcus gets his basement experiment back up and running, change is set in motion for all the characters.
LeBeau and co-screenwriter Chase Brandau have done an unlikely thing in turning a movie that pivots on the complex concept of physics into a character study. In the end, the entire film rests on the performances of Sage and Benjamin, whose characters have reached turning points in their lives.
“The Scientist” quietly introduces us to them, lets their situations percolate and invites us to figure out what they are about, rather than spoon-feeding us facts and responses.
If you don’t like ambiguity in plotlines and endings, this isn’t your movie.
But if you like the idea of having a lively post-screening discussion about the intersection of faith and science, or about the nature of afterlife, or about the importance of time shared with those you love, “The Scientist” is worth checking out.
The quality of the cinematography and acting are exceptional for a movie with a budget of less than $1 million.
LeBeau will appear for post-screening discussions after Wednesday and Thursday’s 7 p.m. screenings at the Dundee Theatre.
Contact the writer:
444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com
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