Marking the writing and directorial debut of Henry LeRoy Finch, Wake revolves around four estranged brothers whose reunion, through no conscious effort of their own, takes place on the eve of their mother's death. Shot entirely on location in Bath, ME, Wake is told from the perspective of Sebastian (Martin Landau), a struggling writer who has been burdened with the care of his rapidly deteriorating mother. Through flashbacks, Sebastian recounts the odd night from beginning to end. There's also
Raymond (Blake Gibbons), fresh out of prison and equipped with a mean streak from hell; Kyle (Gale Harold), whose alcoholism resurfaces within hours of being in contact with Raymond; and Jack (John Winthrop Philbrick), who, after being laid off from his job as a security guard is celebrating the best way he knows how: with lots of alcohol and sleazy women. While the party rages downstairs, Sebastian and Kyle sit upstairs fretting over the state of their mother. Ultimately, they reveal a series of secrets that perhaps oughtn't have been shared and the night ends with devastating results. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
A hackneyed gothic tale invoking those traditional American family values of secrets and lies, the film fails to transcend its derivative literary aspirations.
Roy Finch's shrill, derivative independent film is largely a one-set affair that seems to have been transplanted from its natural home somewhere Off-Off-Off Broadway.
Each brother fulfills a different purpose in the plot, and because they don't allow you to get too emotionally close, they're not as predictable. They're more real.
As maddening as this clan is, one feels sympathy for the ensemble, which, absent full-bodied characters to inhabit, mug furiously, as if big gestures conjure big themes.
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