Nightfire

Two American agents (Lorenzo Pisoni and Greg Hadley) on a covert mission to retrieve military chips from a Belarus military base return with a political prisoner (Dylan Baker) rescued from the camp. This short action thriller (it runs under 45 minutes) is the thesis film from French-born film student Brando Benetton, who shot it on a minimal budget in Verona and Treviso, Italy. The plot, which plays with classic tropes involving greed, corruption, political expedience, and loyal agents torn between morality and duty, is slim at best and the film feels incomplete, more of a filmmaking showcase than a fully realized story. But with the limited resources of a student budget, Benetton stages a vehicular chase through Italian streets, a public assassination, explosions, military action, and stunts that rival made-for-cable action movies. His writing and direction of actors isn't quite so polished; there's an optimistic naiveté to the story and a flatness to most of the performances, with the exception of Baker, who brings an outsized personality to his role. But overall it is an impressive showcase for Benetton's skills and could be a rough draft waiting to be expanded into a longer feature film. It may of interest to film students but is ultimately more of a curiosity than a fully engaging film. Not rated, features foul language and action movie violence, but no sexuality or explicit imagery. Not a necessary purchase.