By DEIRDRE CRIMMINS
Starring Anne Ramsay, Ron E. Rains, Jeremy Holm
Written and Directed by Ted Geoghegan
Shudder
One of the biggest blunders in the world (aside from getting involved in a land war in Asia and going in against a Sicilian when death is on the line) is ignoring the rules when contacting the dead. Those supernatural forces go beyond our ability to comprehend the world as we know it and are not to be trifled with. Ted Geoghegan’s latest film, BROOKLYN 45, is another example of why you should always follow these seance rules.
BROOKLYN 45 takes place soon after the end of World War II in the titular New York borough, occurring in real-time throughout a single ill-fated evening. Clive (Larry Fessenden) invites over old army buddies Paul (Ezra Buzzington), Archibald (Jeremy Holm), and Marla (Anne Ramsay) for drinks and some friendly catching up. Marla’s civilian husband, Bob (Ron E. Rains), accompanies her to the event, though his welcome to the gathering is not nearly as warm as the others.
Without calling too much attention to it, it is all too clear that while the war may be over, it is not in the past. Amongst this group of old friends, ranks and combat histories play into each interaction and the minutia of their relationships. Even at Marla’s continued insistence, Paul refuses to treat Bob as his equal because of his lack of service. Soon, Clive reveals his ulterior motive for the evening. He has been reading about seances and wants their help to contact his recently deceased wife. As the ceremony goes off the rails, it becomes clear that the group might not be alone — but not in the way you might think.
Essentially, Clive’s parlor is the movie’s only location, and the characters’ confinement to it is never lost on them. The set feels lived in, yet the atmosphere remains slightly uneasy. Bright green walls are consistent with interior design trends of the time, but they seem amplified in their garishness. The walls are also clumped with clusters of photos and nostalgic displays. This all serves as a reminder to the group that shaking the dust of the past off their boots and carrying on is not going to be easy.
Fessenden always shines in outlandish performances. However, in BROOKLYN 45, he balances his penchant for the odd with an emotional and understandable desperation. Clive’s pleas to his friends are tinged with pain, and Fessenden loses himself in the role – even before it all gets weird. Nevertheless, BROOKLYN 45 truly belongs to Ramsay. Her performance is nuanced – quiet when restraint is required and intense when it needs to be terrifying. Even within the ensemble cast (all of whom put in good work), Ramsay sets the tone and raises the bar.
The film is engaging and, at times, unpredictable. Still, it is by no means perfect. There are certain awkward exchanges of dialogue in which the old-fashioned language cannot excuse a lack of fluency and rhythm. Along those same lines, as the spooky stuff heads towards its crescendo, the human drama oversteps its assumption of the audience’s interest. Yes, the human element creates the emotional arc of BROOKLYN 45, but the ghosts get upstaged by people arguing at an inopportune moment.
While many genre films draw a thin line between personal trauma and petrifying plots, BROOKLYN 45 is the rare example that takes on global upheaval and how difficult it is to let go. Clive is working through a personal loss, but his struggle cannot be divorced from the scars the war has left on the world. The rest of this band of veterans also hurt – each in their own way. As they reach outside their circle, they realize they are not alone.
BROOKLYN 45 might not play out like the typical seance movie, but it doesn’t try to. It deals with personal pain and the unhealed wounds of conflict on both terrestrial and metaphysical levels – without stepping out of a Park Slope parlor.
BROOKLYN 45 is now available to stream on Shudder.
