The Message is in the Media
What is 11:59 Trying to Say?

One of the more provocative films that I saw at the Kansas International Film Festival was the new film from first-time director Jamin Winans called 11:59. With an intriguing story of reality and media's ability to manipulate that reality, the film becomes part mystery and part conspiracy. Unfortunately, the film also combines a bit of time travel and spirituality, making the ultimate focus of the film a bit murky.

11:59
In the time travel drama 11:59, news cameraman Aaron Dougherty (Raymond Andrew Bailey) wakes up in a wheat field to a nightmare of conspiracy and murder. (Double Edge Films, 2005)
Directed by: Jamin Winans
Written by: Jamin Winans
Starring: Raymond Andrew Bailey, Laura Fuller, Megan Heffernan, and Liz Cunningham

Rated Not Rated
Running time: 102 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 7 out of 10.

Newcomer Raymond Andrew Bailey plays Aaron, a photojournalist for a local news team. When a hot tip from a police insider puts cameraman Aaron and reporter Lisa (Laura Fuller) on the tail of a suspected child killer, he finds himself chasing the suspect with camera in hand. Aaron catches up with the suspect moments before the police arrive. In those moments, Aaron tapes a bizarre plea for help as the suspect claims he has been framed. The footage is hailed by the network media and Aaron becomes the golden boy of the moment. That night, after partying with friends, he finds his car will not start. A moment later, at 11:59, he hears a strange buzzing in his head and passes out.

When Aaron awakens, he finds himself in the middle of a field far from the city. To his dismay, he has no memory of the rest of the night. To further his fear, he discovers that more than 24 hours have passed since his last memory. Tuesday is missing, and Aaron apparently missed out on the most important day of his career. He missed a meeting with network representatives, he missed a must-see moment at the courthouse, and he is in deep trouble with his boss for not showing up. As Aaron tries to piece together the fragments of his missing day, however, he finds himself unable to explain his absence.

Filmed in and around the Denver, Colorado, area 11:59 does little to capture the feel of the Rocky Mountains. In fact, Winans seems to take great trouble to avoid mentioning the setting. When Aaron asks for a ride from a passing truck, he merely says that he needs to get to "The City." For all we know, it could be Minnesota. The only clues to the area are in the license plates on the cars, the directions a co-worker gives Aaron that includes going "east on I-70," and an exit that I recognized as Byers, Colorado (where my brother lives).

Winans (who also wrote the screenplay) told the audience after the screening that he wanted this to be Aaron's story. He didn't want it to get wrapped up in the newsroom politics or the mystery of the conspiracy. The story, instead, is meant to be a spiritual one as Aaron comes to grips with what is important in life. Yet, Winans ignores the two or three plot threads that dangle at the end of the film because he wanted the story to begin and end with Aaron.

The result is a film that lacks closure. Too many questions remain unanswered by the end of the film. The audience is left to speculate what, exactly, caused Aaron to skip a day and then rewind it. The story offers no definite conclusions to either the serial killer or conspiracy storylines.

The story utilizes a number of conventions, including flashback, slow-motion, and visual allusion that are handled only marginally well. The film is very stylized, using different lenses to diffuse the light for different scenes: gold is good, blue is bad. The scenes of Aaron literally "drowning" his sorrows is silly. The slow-motion sequences are too numerous and too drawn out. The flashbacks are pointless. In short, Winans is a new director and it shows.

Nevertheless, 11:59 is compelling. Even if Winans is new, he shows great promise. The story is intriguing, even if it doesn't offer the kind of closure I wanted. The problem lies in the focus of the film and what it is trying to say. For a film about personal ambition, spirituality, and self-discovery, 11:59 had too much else going on.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED: Not Rated
RUN TIME: 102 min.