THE CHAUFFEUR is the tale of a driver who’s got some extremely disturbing habits in which he likes to practice on anyone who climbs into his hideous limoune. But there are links between many of his victims, and as more people go misng, law enforcement intenfy the manhunt. As the pieces are slowly assembled the viewer is treated to a glimpse of the killers past, and the cruelties that he endured as a child. But as Detective (John Biemeret) Wayne closes in, the Chauffuer’s streak of bloody decapitated victims is about to be put into serious jeopardy.
There’s a fair story to be seen in this low budget gorefest. The plot is bac, and thus easy to follow. Writer/director Bennie Woodell shoots things real straight, and at times, real gruesome. There’s no plot complexities to lose you along the way, and there’s enough (disturbing) graphic gore to keep the blood-thirsty happy. While the acting isn’t stellar, it is inspired - and the cast manage to avoid too many awkwardly stiff scenes. The direction has a slight artsy feel, with Woodell adding a little vintage touch to the visuals, it’s a successful execution, as there are definitely plenty of nods to some great exploitation flicks of the 70’s. In the grand scope of things, it’s a decent film.
For the praise I’ve distributed so freely, I’ve got to be honest and point out the deficiencies of the film. The sound could use a lot of work; in spots it’s crystal clear, and in spots it’s a jumbled, indecipherable mess. The casting could have been better selected in a few spots, but overall there really is enough talent on display to let that one go. For a flick shot on a budget that appears to rival next to nothing, I admit, that’s not too much to whine about.http://youtu.be/nNfEHTnCq6w
I tip my hat to a crew who gave everything they could to a limited script, and dedicated their time to a very spirited project. CHAUFFEUR isn’t flawless, but it’s a clean indicator that Bennie Woodell has a load of potential, and that he - with time and more experience - could very well find himself helming much larger pictures. While there’s no ground breaking territory or great new masked icon to pull from the film, there’s plenty of other bloody goodness to take away from this Jiang Hu Productions film.
Grade: C
DVDtails
The DVD actually has some pretty cool bonus features to check out. There’s some cool bloopers, audio commentary with Bennie Woodell, James Hauser and more. And , what I found especially enjoyable: 5 short films from director Bennie Woodell are also included in the bonuses. Worth a look it is!