David Snyder directs The Quiet Arrangement, a heist movie that reminds me a bit of Fargo with a layered, non-linear narrative. It's a twisting story about a kidnapping/ransom scheme with numerous players involved, each seemingly with their own agenda. It deviates from the typical three-act structure we see in films with surprising success. From the get-go it's hard to establish who the main character even is as Snyder weaves a complex, character driven mystery. Until later in the film the story doesn't seem to have a central character at all as we shift in time and place to reveal more details of the criminal debacle.

The performances are pretty good and the story interesting, although it meanders with casual editing and a lot of dialogue in the latter half of the film. As some characters enter and leave the story, others become more defined and human, and it's that humanity that makes them watchable. Of course humanity is a flexible term - the story is chock full of murderers, plotters, and cheaters, few with any redeeming qualities. The only thing that makes some better than others are their motivations.

Snyder's film noir will leave you guessing to the end. Some of the characters are more believable than others in both their actions and their dialogue, so despite a good plot and interesting style of exposition it's hard to give this film top marks. I can emphasize the good cinematography and overall production quality with certainty, and it's festival run has had some success. To check out the movie for yourself head to http://www.quietarrangement.com and snag a copy today.

I'll give this movie an eight out of ten.

Jon Ashby