Mass (Melbourne International Film Festival) ★★★★½

WHAT a gut punch the American drama Mass delivers.

Fran Kranz’s directorial debut feature is almost wholly set in just one room with dialogue from four people.

Veteran character actors Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton all produce the performances of their careers that transcend any debate over theatrical limitations on the screen.

Kranz’s keep his camera almost motionless for the first act of the film, slowly increasing as the level of emotional conflict rises to a crescendo before winding back again in cathartic fashion.

It’s a a scriptwriting and acting masterclass intensified to extremes by the camera in a way that a stage play may not have been able to capture in such a naturalistic way.

If this is enough of a recommendation for you, don’t read any further.

This is a film best experienced with no prior knowledge of the subject matter which is revealed in a deliberate and measured manner to invoke maximum emotional impact.

All you need to know is that two sets of parents have come together to discuss a tragedy that involved each of their teenage sons.

Aside from the emotional rollercoaster, we are asked to confront our own views on fundamental issues that we just don’t seem capable of reconciling as a modern society despite the devastating human costs.

Writing this review is a battle in itself to keep the emotional response to this film under control.

This is a hell of a film. Right now, my best of 2022