Gabriel (2014) Reviews

• Rory Culkin delivers a terrifying performance in the haunting film from the Tribeca Film Festival...

  ClaytonDavis2014-04-20

  Just over twenty years ago, Macaulay Culkin attempted to break away from any semblance of his child actor days with the thriller The Good Son directed by Joseph Ruben. In that film it is revealed that "Henry," played by Culkin, killed his little brother Richard. For just a second in the film, we get a glimpse of Richard, pictured in a frame by Macaulay's then little brother Rory, the youngest of the seven Culkin children. Who knew that parents Kit and Patricia had saved the best and most talented for last? In writer/director Lou Howe's darkly constructed thriller Gabriel, the young Rory Culkin not only manages to build a multi-layered and fascinating character, but allows himself to be among one of the most promising and gifted lead actors seen this year. Magnetically charged and full of suspense for nearly every moment, Gabriel is about a troubled young man (named Gabriel), who is convinced that reuniting with his first love will bring the stability and love he so deeply craves. When his attempts find missteps at nearly every turn, beginning with objections from his family, Gabriel begins to unravel. Director Lou Howe makes his feature film debut with this twisted and terrifying look into the mind of an unstable young man. Howe lets the moments linger for what feels like a cinematic eternity, that brings the tension to the breaking point. You'll live at the edge of your seat. Assisted with the dedicated and surprising performance by Rory Culkin, the two embark down a path that will leave you breathless. The 60′s had Anthony Perkins in Psycho, the 70′s had Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver, and now in 2010′s, we have Rory Culkin. A darkly charged performance that is both fascinating and secure, his "Gabriel" has potential to be looked back upon for years to come. He isn't the only player that makes his mark. Playing Meredith, Deidre O'Connell, probably best known for playing Tom Wilkinson's cheated-on wife in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, takes the suffering and supportive mother role to new heights. O'Connell envelops the essence of loving with fear. Desperately wanting to keep her son with her on the outside but aware of what a free Gabriel could elicit on the world is just the tip of her internal struggle. O'Connell joins the ranks of great character actresses such as Jacki Weaver and Ann Dowd working today. An actress who should be given more opportunities to flourish in Hollywood. It's the best supporting turn this year yet. Playing Matthew, Gabriel's brother, David Call rises to the occasion in nearly every scene he's in. Showing restraint but frustration as he tackles on the daunting task of caring for his erratic sibling. Relegated to one scene each, Emily Meade, Alexia Rasmusen, and Louisa Krause are not forgotten as bright sparkles in this foggy story that's full of mystery and uncertainty. Lynn Cohen also has a very tender and powerful scene that gives the audience some great insight into Gabriel's mind. I found her just as compelling. Gabriel is a mesmerizing motion picture. Definitely not for everyone, the film should be able to find a nitch with a key audience that will worship Rory Culkin. Gabriel's actions are quite unpredictable and could make some too uncomfortable. While I'm perfectly satisfied with the ending resolution, as the film continuously builds to this "one moment" from Gabriel, that some may feel differently. If anything, this sets up a long line for Howe's next feature film, whatever that may be. In the end, Gabriel is one of the most frightening and haunting character studies since Mark Romanek's One Hour Photo. It shows the unpredictable and fragile nature of mental illness that we haven't seen before. Intriguing and hooked from moment one, Gabriel is a must-see film.

• Rory Culkin's performance is as good as everyone is saying.

  subxerogravity2015-06-27

  It's a very very quiet film with an captivating performance by Culkin It was a very down to earth look at a kid who just got out of a metal institution attempting to prove to everyone that he's not insane, when they all feel otherwise. The filmmakers added to this haunting quest by never fully accounting the actions of Gabriel before he got out. It's a good way to have the audience keep him as the protagonist, so that we a cheering for him all the way. The subtlety of the whole thing from the very beginning to the very end really does the trick and actually brings out Culkin's chilling performance. Thumbs up

• Another A++ film the public won't see

  cekadah2015-08-08

  What to say about this marvelous film? As Gabriel, Rory Culkin will have you liking him, hating him, feeling empathy for him, and just like his family you want to help but Gabe is beyond help. Gabe makes a bus trip home after being an extended inpatient at a psychiatric hospital. (How long we do not know because it is irrelevant to the story). But first Gabe wants to find a girl he loves - Sarah. And this is the story in Gabriel. To get to Sarah, Gabe is no fool and you actually want him to achieve this goal. But you know it will be a dead end for him. In achieving this task Gabe sinks further into his mental illness. Director/Writer Lou Howe brings to us the very image of hopelessness by filming all the scenes during winter when all of nature appears dead, skies gray, the days are short. This is symbolic of how Gabe feels about himself, yet he wants to live and come back to a daily life just like spring. But Gabes sun has set and he doesn't realize it. A beautiful captivating film with superior acting and dialog by all.

• Excellent lead character acting, tension spread evenly, but missed some background info that could have improved my viewer experience

  JvH482014-11-03

  Seen at the Leiden International Film Festival 2014 (LIFF), where it was selected for the official American Indie competition. We follow Gabriel on an obsessive search for a former girl friend, hoping that being together again will solve all his problems. Provides for an insightful view on the impact it has on family and friends who have to live with someone with mental problems, and how difficult it must be to follow his trains of thought and his hidden reasoning. That he is a loose canon and unpredictable all the time, is clear from the outset. On the other hand, an extra 5 minutes (adding up to 90 min, still not long) could have worked to explain Gabriel's medical history, his place in the family and what problems he has been treated for. And what precisely must we think of his former relationship with Alice, and how many years have past since their relationship?? A continuous attempt to restore that friendship is the driving force of everything he does, and we may wonder why he thinks that a reunion is a good idea, and why it will solve all his problems for good. All in all, a lot of guesswork, too much for my taste, but it may have been on purpose letting us read between the lines all the time and keeping us in tension. Yet, lead character and director show a lot of promise, with a bright future ahead. My IMDb score of 7 strikes a balance between the excellent acting on one hand, and the missing elements in the script which could have clarified some background and improved our viewer experience on the other hand. The excellent performance by the lead actor and his overly persistent quest would have been better appreciated when we had a grip on the type of disease he is suffering from. If leaving out important details was intentional to maintain a dramatic tension all along, I'm wrong with this score, but I cannot help it. Maybe I'm to rational and always in need to understand things, unable to satisfy myself with atmosphere and impressions included in a movie.

• Honest, raw, and menacing. Rory Culkin is superb

  Red_Identity2015-07-13

  I mean, first of all, the film has a really misleading poster. It just seems so much like a genre film, and what was fortunately surprising is that it's actually a very real, very honest portrayal of a film topic we've seen countless of times before. Although we have, it's rare to see it handled like this. The film keeps this harsh tone of menace without actually being a "thriller". It's impressive actually, and it's really impressive how well written the screenplay is. Rory Culkin is simply superb. The only other thing I've ever seen him in (well, since his kid turn in Signs) is Scream 4 and he was definitely a standout there. He has raw talent that the film was able to give him the opportunity to showcase. Easily one of the best performances of the year so far. Another standout in the film was Dierdre O'Connell. I'm not sure that the last 10 minutes worked as well as they should have, but the film made its point and it never became anything that betrayed everything that came before it. I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see his film, highly recommended.