REVIEW – Shuffle
Director/Writer: Kurt Kuenne
Imagine, if you will, a lost soul meandering his time-line, going back and forth, from old to young to middle age – none of the events he is experiencing is in chronological life order of their happening. Such is the premise of the film, “Shuffle,” an intriguing drama from the pen and direction of Kurt Kuenne.
Lovell Milo (T.J. Thyne) is living a nightmare, literally. Every time he falls asleep, he wakes to find he is engaged in another time of his life. One time he wakes as an adolescent, the next time he is in his 90s. And at each point he has the memories that go along with his age. One fact is clear – at one time he is/was/used to be (you pick) an award-winning photographer. Wanting the madness to stop, he seeks out the help of a psychiatrist to piece his world back together.
The film does have the feel of a Twilight Zone episode, mixed in with Kem Grimwood’s Sci-Fi novel, “Replay.” Replay is a story about second chances, being given over and over again.
Director Kuenne adds mystery and a sense of peril to the drama by dropping the film on us in black and white. “Shuffle” begins confused but builds a deep connection with the audience as the disconnected pieces are brought together – sort of. As the cobwebs of disorder and perplexity are cleared we begin to see the who/what/when/where/and how of Milo’s life. Thyne (Dr. Hodgins from Bones) does a very nice job as a man in crisis, desperate for relief, having a panicked desire to know and understand what is happening to him and why. The casted ensemble provides solid, matching support making the intrigue of “shuffle” worth the price of a ticket.
