Young filmmaker Luke Eberl is rocking the vote in his own pugnacious fashion.
Mr. Eberl, all of 21, wrote, directed and edited “Choose Connor,” a new drama about the perils of political life.
That politics can lead to moral decay is hardly breaking news, but Mr. Eberl invests his story with enough originality to rise above its pat veneer. That’s why it’s a shame he introduces a late-breaking plot twist into an otherwise credible feature.
Fifteen-year-old Owen Norris (Alex D. Linz) has landed a cushy role as a youth campaign spokesman for Congressman Lawrence Connor (Steven Weber of “Wings” fame).
It’s a dream for a young political junkie, especially one as lonely as Owen. He’s introduced to some movers and shakers as well as Connor’s sketchy nephew, Caleb (Escher Holloway). Virtually overnight, Owen is a media-savvy asset to Connor’s campaign, and the rising poll numbers bear that out.
Yet there’s something hollow and a tad sinister about Connor that portends trouble. He’s too slick, too mechanical to be trusted, but the awestruck Owen can only nod and grin as Connor instructs him on how to work within the system.
“Choose Connor” won’t satisfy cable-news addicts or partisan crowds. The film treats hot-button issues such as the environment with little depth and consistently avoids party labels.
That approach negates some dramatic potential, but Mr. Eberl’s characters supply enough of their own. Mr. Linz is thoroughly convincing as a budding egghead who blossoms once he finds an outlet for his views. Mr. Weber takes a stock role and turns it into something complicated and disarmingly human.
The wild card is Caleb, who likes to wrestle and hug more than most boys his age but emerges as the film’s moral compass.
Mr. Eberl, a former child actor, moves his story along with confidence and grace. He’s shrewd enough to detail Owen’s isolation with the kind of small touches even a film veteran might leave out.
For example, Owen’s parents show flashes of jealousy as their son’s local profile starts to rise.
“Choose Connor” only skims the surface of the corrupting power of politics, but Mr. Eberl should start building a loyal base from his feature-length debut.
★★½
TITLE: “Choose Connor”
RATING: NR (Adult language, sexual situations and mature themes)
CREDITS: Written, directed and edited by Luke Eberl.
RUNNING TIME: 109 minutes
WEB SITE: www.chooseconnor.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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