Dose of Reality (2013)

This is basically a three "man" play that takes place inside of a bar. Matt (Ryan Merriman) the bar tender discovers a woman (Fairuza Balk) passed out on the restroom floor. She has apparently been beaten and raped. Tony (Rick Ravanello), the bar manager, is less concerned. He is a two strike ex-con who still snorts drugs.When Rose comes to, she wants to discover which one of these guys did this to her. She plays mind games with them, antagonizes them and there are things that don't mesh, but too minor to be concerned about as the scene is too powerful and draws you away from the clue. As it turns out, Rose has multiple personality syndrome and moves smartly between characters. The action grows rather intense as we watch this personality driven script which at times is a dark comedy. Rose has two diverse personalities which are as diverse as Matt and Tony.After an hour into the film, things come together, and then all hell breaks loose as the plot twists and twists and becomes a delicious pretzel. This is for people who love a smart indie film. Bravo writer/directer Christopher Glatis Bravo.Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex. No nudity.

Where to even start? This is definitely more than a unique twist on the "stage play on film" sort of production, though at its heart, that is the format.Yes, there is the complex interwoven character study twists and turns that this starts out to be, and for much of the production almost up to the end, that's what it seems to be, more or less . . .But wait for it, the final twist is definitely a twist that is more than worth it.Unfortunately, it would be almost impossible to even hint at what is really awaiting the viewer without stumbling across the threshold of a spoiler boundary, so I just can't go there with this review.What can be said here is kudos plus for Fairuza Balk, who delivers her character "Rose" about as effectively as any actress possibly could, she definitely has talent in this category.As for the overall theme of the story, well, the take away message might be a popular phrase from a previous era, "question reality". Particularly in today's world, perhaps more than ever, that message connects.If anything, extra stars for a cleverly original concept, an evermore difficult task in today's world where virtually every conceivable plot and storyline that can be possibly imagined has been conjured up and rehashed endlessly over and over.That might be a hint, sort of . . . OK, enough said.A solid 7 stars for this one

Dose of Reality offers something that is rare these days in cinema, originality. The plot and development thereof is completely void of the typical formulaic approaches that exist in most movies in this "thriller" genre.From the opening scene, till the end I had no idea what twists and turns would happen at the next moment.Dose of Reality does not rely on flashy cgi, camera movements... to suck you in, but rather very well developed characters and unique plot line.I highly recommend Dose of Reality to anyone who loves a true thriller.

This movie had a really interesting plot - it kept me glued to the screen all the way through. I found in it a rare quality - I actually couldn't guess what would happen next which really helps with keeping you involved – I'm one of those people who can easily be bored by a movie if it is predictable so this was refreshing to see. The story line touches on some delicate and potentially triggering subjects but they are portrayed really well in the movie. Fairuza Balk is incredible in this film - she really played and developed the role in such a way that it made the character become almost lifelike – there was a real depth to her performance in this film making it that much more enjoyable. The ending of the movie involved a major plot twist which came as a complete shock; however it was both a good and bad ending at the same time. The concept of the ending was a fantastic idea and provided the much needed shock factor in a mystery/thriller movie – but I was left wanting more of a development of the ending. All in all I would really recommend watching if you like a good mystery or thriller!