THE PINCH: A Commendable Low Budget Effort That Falls Short

Seeing an early effort by an independent filmmaker, despite a film’s small scope, can often give one hope about that director’s future. Despite some occasional glaring issues or technical shortcomings, the overall flow of a film may be enough for studios to give someone more to play around with the next time around.

I thought about this quite a lot while watching The Pinch. The film, though not without its issues, such as some cringeworthy acting, ADR issues, and a story that is ridden with crime thriller tropes, is at least mildly entertaining. It is occasionally funny, occasionally violent, and occasionally surprising, which makes for a just about passable watch.

The Usual Story

Rob (Gunner Wright) is a mobster on the rise within a violent group, headed by the ruthless Kain (James Aston Lake). While out on a run, he is pinched by some cops, who ultimately give him a choice to turn on his higher-ups. Refusing to be a rat, though, Rob turns to Kain, who offers him $500,000 to leave town along with his wife Gina (Candice Bolek), which they could use to start a new life together.

We all know where this is headed, though. Kain, despite knowing Rob to be loyal, has no intentions on letting him simply walk away, and sends two henchmen over his house to take him out. Ever the cautious one, Rob outsmarts the two, and subsequently kidnaps Kain, demanding that he hand over what he had promised.

From the start, The Pinch notably shows its cards early, taking a typical scene of what appears to be a kidnapping and turning it on its head. Ashley Scott Meyers is aware of the type of film he’s making, and he’s not shy in showing it. It may outwardly resemble a typical cat-and-mouse thriller, surrounded by a half-baked story and some flimsy characters, but there is going to be a sense of fun to it as well, and a sense of self-awareness.

This can be best seen during the scenes between Gunner Wright’s Rob and the scene-stealing James Aston Lake‘s Kain. Kain, being tied up and vulnerable, tries his best to manipulate Rob into letting him go, but he’s clearly also a guy with a sense of charm. In a way, he’s proud of Rob, who he’s seen progress as a low-level mobster, but he’s clearly furious as well. A rather funny exchange between them comes when Kain asks for pizza, but refuses to eat the “peasant” food that Rob orders for him. It’s scenes like this that allow Pinch’s whimsical nature to shine through, somewhat resembling a Guy Ritchie film in its attempts to not take itself too seriously.

Been-There Done-That

Just as often as this, though, The Pinch falls back on overly used tropes. Almost every supporting character is a stereotype of some sort: the two bad guy henchmen, played by Terrell Dixon and Phillip Musumeci, in which one of them is a ruthless mobster and the other is the wimpy comic relief; the hard-lined cops, played by Thomas Haley and Maria Paris, who are willing to sidestep the proper way of doing things for the greater good; the corrupt lawyer, played by Sokrates Frantzis; the dutiful wife, played by Candice Bolek, who is willing to do anything and everything that her husband asks of her.

Not only this, but the dialogue that the characters spew often feels straight out of a first-year screenwriter’s handbook. There are some lines here, such as some early conversations between the cops, that will make you shake your head in disbelief. Voice-over by Gunnar Hansen‘s Rob is also decidedly unnecessary, since what he often states can be inferred by what is going on. Basically, though there is occasionally a sense of wit to it, this is no Tarantino screenplay.

Technical Shortcomings

Perhaps due to its micro-budget (it was made for only $250,000), Pinch also feels lacking on a technical front. Occasionally, some lines are not heard when actors speak, which is the result of some poor sound mixing, and at other moments, what is heard has clearly not come out of the actors’ mouths, as a result of some poor ADR. The music, while often fitting to the mood, does also occasionally feel invasive, overpowering the actors’ conversations to the point where we can barely make out what they say. The Pinch really needed more time spent in post-production, where these errors could’ve been more adequately addressed.

Visual effects-wise, The Pinch is somewhat sufficient, given its limited scope. The film doesn’t always blatantly show the violence being done, instead showing its aftermath, which often works to its benefit, as we see later on when a gunshot wound looks clearly digitized.

On an editing note, though, the film actually flows quite nicely. It sets up scenes well, and the way conversations are spliced together does not feel choppy. The scenes between Rob and Kain while Kain is tied up, as mentioned earlier, are easily the highlight of the film. The editing, low-key music, and chemistry between the actors results in some inspired moments. It’s a shame that the remainder of the film doesn’t quite follow suit.

The Pinch: Conclusion

To conclude, Ashley Scott Meyers‘  The Pinch is not a complete waste of time. Though technically lacking, and often cringe-inducing, it is also infused with an occasional sense of wit. Meyers shows promise, and as this is his feature film debut, perhaps in the future he will grow even more as a director.

What are your thoughts on low-budget action thrillers? Let us know in the comments below!