Cinema Crazed

2011

Rated: Unrated

Genre: Short Ahinated Crime Gangster Thriller Drama

Directed By: Anthony Thurman

Written By: Anthony Thurman

Alt Key Productions

Running Time: 16 Minutes

Review by: Felix Vasquez Jr.

Review Date: 7/10/11

THE DEPRESSION OF DETECTIVE DOWNS 2: ON DEPRESSION'S EDGE

How do you stop the city's most insane criminals when you yourself are on the brink of insanity? Who do the heroes turn to when they're about to lose their minds? That's the questions asked during the sequel to "The Depression of Detective Downs" a wonderful closer to an already great saga about Detective Rolando Downs, a well meaning detective who is so at odds with life that all he can do is watch the days fade away all the while witness his luck turn sour with every passing moment.

Director Anthony Thurman creates a true to life character with true ailments that manage to act as a weakness and sometimes advantage to the character's exploits, and Thurman seems to have a deep understanding of the workings of the human mind. How else to explain such an accurate portrayal of a panic attack and schizophrenia? While Rolando Downs might come off as whiny to some audiences, what he really is is just human, and a human who has about given up on life after his last adventure left him penniless, and without a companion to call his own.

This time he has to find a missing man for a figure skater whose boyfriend went MIA days before the case, and this investigation--like the one before--may just mean the end for Downs and his partner if he isn't careful. The animation is wonderful yet simplistic with the tight often superb voice work (Thurman voices Downs with a firm understanding of his own character) doing the job of adding depth and complexity to the style of 2D animation chosen for this piece.

Downs and his life make for some truly ground breaking genre work and I look forward to more from director/writer Anthony Thurman.