SXSW Movie Review: The Arbalest

Title: The Arbalest

Cast: Mike Brune, Tallie Medel, Felice Monteith, Matt Stanton and Marc Farley

Trying to decipher the complicated and puzzling nature of people’s complex emotions can be a bewildering experience, especially when their intentions are seemingly drastically different from your own. That’s certainly the case with both the main character and the story in first-time feature film director Adam Pinney’s new drama, ‘The Abalest.’ The movie, which the filmmaker also wrote the script for, chronicles a mystifying anti-hero’s baffling motivations as he unsuccessfully pursues the woman he proclaims to love, who doesn’t reciprocate his romantic feelings, for nearly a decade. The drama, which received the Feature Film Grand Jury Award in the Narrative Feature Competition at this month’s SXSW, presents a seemingly sympathetic character who’s determined to fight for what he wants, even though his motivations aren’t always easy to decipher.

‘The Arbalest’ begins in a New York hotel room in 1968, as Foster Kalt (Mike Brune) is preparing to attend a toy convention. He passes the time the evening before with two other attendees-a man (Jon Briddell, whose character is simply identified during the end credits as Man in a Suit) and a woman, Sylvia (Tallie Medel). As the trio begins to consume an abundance of alcohol before then delving into recreational drugs, Foster’s new acquaintances encourage him to show them his invention. When he realizes that Sylvia and the man are unenthusiastic about his idea, Foster decides to accept her proposition that he presents another toy she shares with him as his own invention. Foster agrees to go along with Sylvia’s idea, as he decides that he’s in love with her. But his declaration of his love for her is just another aspect of him that fails to impress her.

Glimpses of Foster and Sylvia’s subsequent interactions are then shown, as the story jumps ahead to 1976 and 1978. After receiving extreme wealth and fame for the toy he passed off as being his own idea, he’s still determined to impress her enough so that she’ll become romantically interested in him. As per their agreement, Sylvia is still accepting the checks Foster is sending her from the money he’s receiving from the toy, but she refuses to answer his letters.

Foster has become so upset over the fact that Sylvia doesn’t reciprocate his romantic feelings that he has become a reclusive. After completing a long-standing vow of self-imposed silence, the supposed toy creator allows a television crew, which includes Myra Ney, Paul and Haskell (Felice Monteith, Matt Stanton and Marc Farley), to enter his home and interview him. The crew readily accepts his decision, as they’re eager to uncover, and subsequently showcase, the true identity of the man who they believe created the world’s most popular toy.

As Foster subsequently begins muttering to himself, the crew inadvertently records a stunning admission he makes. The beloved toy creator reveals that he remained so obsessed with Sylvia during the ’70s that he purchased a rural cabin next to the one where she lives with her husband, Army officer John (Robert Walker Branchaud). But his last-ditch attempt to win his life’s love by inviting the couple over for dinner proves to be disastrous. After unsuccessfully struggling to win Sylvia’s affection for a decade, Foster finally realizes that he must put his life and goals into perspective.

With ‘The Arbalest’ grippingly exploring the complexities of human nature, and the challenges many people face as they attempt to overcome the pain of feeling unrequited love for someone, Brune enthralling portrayed Foster as a sympathetic anti-hero. While Pinney interestingly wrote the independent drama’s lead character to be relentlessly abrasive in his determined pursuit of Sylvia, Brune intriguingly infused his complex character with a sense of dignity and charm. Foster is compellingly presented as caring less about the ever-lasting benefits of fame and fortune, which is shown through his initial reluctance to divulge his life and secrets to the television crew, and is more concerned about reconnecting with Sylvia. Even though his character continuously takes drastic and extreme measures to capture Sylvia’s attention, Brune effortlessly highlighted that Foster was only do so out of pure love and appreciation, particularly through the subtlety of his body language and expressions while he’s in her presence.

Besides Brune’s captivating portrayal of a determined man who will take whatever means necessary to capture the attention of the woman he loves, no matter how extreme his actions are, ‘The Arbalest’ also thrillingly captures viewers’ attention through its alluring visuals. One of the drama’s most appealing visuals is its costumes, which were designed by Karen Freed, who previously worked as a costumer on such films as ‘Joyful Noise,’ ‘96 Minutes‘ and ‘The Change-Up.’ From Foster’s notable pale yellow collared short-sleeved shirt that he wears in the cabin as he tries to attract Sylvia, to her seductive light pink dress that initially captures his attention, the characters’ overall clothing and looks perfectly capture the classic feel of the ’70s, while also being elegantly modern. With the alluring costumes charmingly set against the retro chic looks of the stunning locations that production designer Aimee Holmberg crafted, particularly the hotel room where Foster and Sylvia first begin to become acquainted, the characters’ eccentricities were powerfully highlighted throughout the film.

While not all viewers will fully appreciate the stiffly paced and analytical tone that powerfully drives the film’s equally intriguing and puzzling narrative that Pinney crafted, ‘The Arbalest’ redeems itself through its powerful performances and visuals. Brune naturally offers an intriguingly insightful portrayal of the determined and relentless Foster, who cares more about being loved by Sylvia, who he feels is the right woman for him, than indulging himself with his new-found fortune. Combined with charming visuals, particularly the classically retro costumes and production design, the film is a captivating drama that powerfully reminds viewers that people of all eras will often do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, no matter what the consequences may be.

Technical: A-

Written by: Karen Benardello