‘Prisoners of Time’ deals with a very important matter that crippled generations of most strong men: the post-traumatic disorder. PTSD is usually found in people that witnessed war or have other abusive memories that are coming back in a rather violent manner. In this feature film, Brian Lutes takes this quite sensitive subject and builds a whole story around it that is appealing to the public, a story that got us hooked from the very first scene. The movie begins with the shot of a moving military convoy, where army men chat and tell jokes only to make their “time in hell” seem more pleasant. We see at some point a family blocking the road, and as one of the soldiers feel it, it’s not a good sign. And from this moment on, the narrative takes a new turn.
One thing we liked in ‘Prisoners of Time’ was the shady World War editing. We’ve seen this before in movies like ‘Saving Private Ryan’ or in TV series like ‘Band of Brothers’ or ‘The Pacific’, and this one as well enhances the drama and foregrounds the angst only war can deliver. In the first part of the film, this filter announces that something bad is going to happen, and as a viewer, you feel the pressure in the air.
The narrative and dialogue of this feature are really well created. We thought at first that ‘Prisoners of Time’ was based on a book, as it is written more like a novel than as a movie script. The number of details included in the actual story is perfect when it comes to helping the viewers imagine a complete panorama of the set, transcending the visual medium that can be seen on screen. Basically, what Brian Lutes does here is to show the viewer a fraction of the fantastic painting, and then providing the whole information so that one can create their own personal full view setting.
We personally found it impressive to not only play the main character, but also direct the movie, Brian Lutes managing to do both of these jobs in a professional manner. As the main character, he does some great scenes where the emotional level goes through the roof, and as a director, he has the ability to make every scene and character give one hundred percent at any moment throughout the story.
‘Prisoners of Time’ has the story of a Hollywood movie, and the charm of an exquisite American novel.
TMFF RATING:
