Film Review: iCrime (2011)

SYNOPSIS:

Unlike the rest of the girls coming to Hollywood with dreams of seeing their name in lights, Carrie Kevin arrives with a purpose…

REVIEW:

Have you ever watched a film you didn’t really want to watch, expecting to hate it, wanting to hate? I felt that way when I sat down to watch “iCrime”, the feature film debut from director Bears Fonte’. The film was nothing like I was expecting. It was entertaining, fun, and suspenseful. I like to think that I’m pretty internet savvy but some things just slip by me. I just recently found out what “loneygirl15” was and “iCrime” uses this as a bit of inspiration to tell a story that was far more complex than I could have ever imagined. The real revelation here is the films’ lead, Sara Fletcher. Fletcher, probably most well known for being on Comedy Central’s “Secret Girlfriend”, has such a charismatic presence that it’s hard to resist. She is the perfect mix of looks & talent and without question this film belongs to her.

Carrie Kevin (Fletcher) moves to L.A. from a small town in Oklahoma to stay with her cousin Stefy (Kelly Noonan) who is a somewhat celebrity model. She quickly befriends Zeffer (Travis Brorsen), a struggling actor who is willing to lend her a hand. When a tabloid journalist Evelyn Echo (Katherine Randolph) gets her hands on a videotape of Stefy, Carrie must begin to investigate the disappearance of internet celebrity Jordan Rivers (Leah McKendrick). With the help of Raychel93 (Christie Burson), they tap in to every internet resource they can tap and try to learn the truth behind the hoax. Or is it?

Fonte’ uses a set of techniques that fit the subject matter. Many of us live out our lives on the internet and with a film that revolves around a group of people that does, it was only logical to shoot it in a manner that would fit in. When characters are texting, the messages pop up on the screen like subtitles. We even get to see video blogs that help reveal bits of backstory. A first time feature director already has an interesting style developing is kind of exciting. Fonte’ also wrote the screenplay which itself is pretty layered.

Before “iCrime”, I had never seen any of these actors before. I really hope to see much more of them. Fonte’ assembled a really talented group who elevate the already stellar material. There is no denying the fact that Sara Fletcher is the heart and soul of the film. Her character Carrie Kevin is so incredibly well fleshed out that you believe Sara is Carrie. She is a strong personality, a skeptic, a slacker who keeps herself well-guarded even though she’s just a girl who wants to protect the ones she loves and be loved in return, someone very human. Sara Fletcher made me smile and won herself a new fan. It’s a really terrific performance from an actress who is just warming up.

It’s funny, I knew nothing of “iCrime” when I popped the disc into my player, so I had no idea what to expect. The first few minutes don’t even give you a fair assessment as to what to expect from the rest. What I expected and what I received ended up being so incredibly opposite that I almost forgot I didn’t want to watch it. I admit it, I didn’t want to watch the movie at all. In fact, I was dreading it. Thankfully, “iCrime” didn’t waste time smacking me in the face and calling me a bitch. Normally I don’t take kindly to that type of behavior but in this case, I’m glad they did. “iCrime” is going to be the first film since I began reviewing that I am going to mix up my format a little bit. I’ve never employed a star rating system before so I’m thinking I want to try it out for a bit and see how it works so…
I give “iCrime” **** out of 5 stars. A smart, funny, and suspenseful film that never takes you where you expect to go. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

iCrime (2011)