Friday at Noon is an indie film made by my friend Gabriel Hudelson and his family. I promised him that he was going to get it with the review and I was going to share it on ALL my writing forums.
So here goes! 
There are photos and a trailer on my blog: http://aubreyhansen.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... -noon.html
Jack Shatley’s life revolves around his innocent little daughter. But when two of Jack’s former students murder a young boy, the father, Cody Rawlands, blames Jack’s humanistic teachings. Cody kidnaps Jack’s daughter and offers only one hope of ransom – answer the question “Why shouldn’t I do to your daughter what your students did to my son?”
FaN is best described as a philosophical thriller, with the tension being primarily psychological rather than physical. The story presents an interesting quandary – who determines whether murder is right or wrong? – and answers it well without becoming preachy. However, because of the psychological nature of the crime, there are a few places in the story where the characters’ motivations are unclear. Underdeveloped secondary characters and muddy conversions finish a story that is complete but thin.
As is common with indie films, the movie has a few rough spots in the art. Occasional displays of unconfident acting, some weak dialog, and a few moments of inept or unfocused camera work. Overall, however, it was an enjoyable film to watch, with minimal moments of weakness that pulled me out of the story.
The movie inserted title cards with quotes between the chapters, a technique I have seen effectively used in novels but never before in a film. The kinetic typography that precedes the DVD menu, however, is stunning and accompanied by similarly epic music. It was a unique approach brilliantly done.
FaN is a very clean film in terms of aesthetics, with absolutely no language or sexual content whatsoever. Nevertheless, the subject material is serious and includes several tense moments. While the tension is not defiling, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Overall, Friday at Noon issues a thought-provoking premise with unique execution. The logical arguments presented stay with the viewer and are applicable to other debates in life. It is well worth the watch, but in terms of replay value… the soundtrack CD will get worn out first.
(I posted a critique of the soundtrack by itself here: http://aubreyhansen.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... -noon.html)