“The Guilty” (2021)
Antoine Fuqua and his broken characters
Antoine Fuqua and his broken characters
Based on and a remake of, a 2018 Danish film of the same name, Antoine Fuqua’s 14th cinematic outing in the director’s chair charts the breakdown and mental anguish of another central character who on the surface is detestable and unlikeable and akin to the Denzel Washington character of The Equalizer franchise, and especially so another of Washington’s collaboration with the director, 2001’s incredible Training Day. The films may be entirely different but the parallels with the central character(s) are stark and as one of only three casted characters “Sergeant Denise Wade” (Christina Vidal) states toward the denouement of this 90 minute film: “broken people save broken people”. But who’s going to save the tormented and broken soul on the end of the telephone?
With a cast of only three physical characters, the other roles are filled by “Manny” (Adrian Martinez) a call centre operative at the Los Angeles Police Department fielding 911 emergency calls on a busy LA night of Californian wildfires, and “Joe Baylor” (Jake Gyllenhaal). Whereas Denise and Manny are permanent and integral members of the department, it’s clearly apparent that Joe is not and on a secondment/suspension from his Police Officer role and is only mere hours away from securing a return to his previous position.
What follows is one panic and anxiety driven night shift and arguably a real time narration of a crime, a possible death, an abduction and Joe Baylor crossing the line with the best of intentions but with an uncertain and entirely out of his control conclusion that he approaches from his old policing role rather than a detached role of note taker of the facts and, crucially, searching for the truth. But being unable to help and frustrated in the imagined way he would if he was still in that old position that he’s soon to return to after this final shift, he hinders a dangerous incident through being so distant from the actual event as well as through the prism of his anger, resentment, anxiety, fears for the future and ultimately, grief.
“Joe Baylor” (Jake Gyllenhaal) As well as mentally disintegrating amid anxiety, frustration and a rising explosive anger, Joe is seen constantly struggling with a cough, trying to catch his breath and a high pitched ringing in his ears. Separated from his wife and young daughter for six months, Joe is disintegrating, unravelling and breaking before our eyes and his visceral anger can be attributed to a variety of factors but what is clearly and immediately apparent is that he’s already broken with the weight of unspoken truth drowning him.
As can be expected from the title, guilt is also another central theme that runs through this film as well as the concept of truth, with the film itself commencing with the John 8:32 biblical quote of “and the truth shall make you free”. Grief, anger, regret, resentment and a complete lack of personal control are also huge themes in a film with only three characters and a host of voices heard making a variety of emergency telephone calls. Peter Sarsgaard and Ethan Hawke are namechecked amongst many others, with the only voice I detected, correctly, and immediately, was American comedian and actor Bill Burr. As you would also expect of such a slim cast fielding telephone calls, the action never leaves the confines of the call centre and our only experience of the outside world is either through the large screens showing the local wildfires or the emergency scenes as pictured by the film’s tormented soul. This leads to the film’s overriding tense and claustrophobic feel of a broken man shouting and screaming his angst, before having to face the truth.
“I was trying to help you. We’re all trying to help you”.
Not perfect by any means, but recommended if this spoiler light dance has tempted you.
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