Torch (2018)

**_A troubled blonde returns to Belize with her new (older) beau_** Cowriter & director Christopher Coppola is the nephew of Francis Ford and the cousin of Sofia, not to mention the older Brother of Nicolas Cage. While he never attained their stature in the biz, he knows how to make an entertaining enough ‘B’ or ‘C’ movie on an indie budget, as observed by “Dracula’s Widow,” “Gunfighter” (1999) and “Clockmaker” (aka “Timekeeper”). This one’s a reverent jungle drama with elements of mystery/crime thriller. The focus is on the young photographer (Lacey Dorn) and her relationship with the author she meets in San Francisco (Vincent Spano). She reacquaints with her grandfather (John Savage) and tries to find healing from something traumatic that happened when she was a kid with the help of a Catholic sister (Deborah Kara Unger). Rita Moreno shows up as her singing aunt in the first act. Most of the budget went toward the cast & crew and locations, as well as travel/lodging and catering. I point this out because the camerawork is sometimes amateurish, such as the pan of the jungle village. If you can adapt to such limitations, I found myself caring about the protagonist and wanted her to get well & find happiness. Spano plays the noble Gabriel and is reminiscent of Ricardo Montalban. He was in his mid-50s during shooting, but looked closer to late 30s. I wish the screenplay took a more organic route than the one taken. Yet, after reflecting on it, I know two cases very close to me wherein what happens in the movie occurred in real life. I can’t say anymore without spoiling it, but it’s a worthy lesson in life. While I suppose most viewers would give this a lower rating, there are several positives that contribute to my grade (5.5/10) despite the low-budget deficiencies. Examples include the willingness to slow down and let the characters breathe, the grandfather’s bungalow, the reverent tone, and the lush central American setting, which nicely spotlights several native critters. It runs 1h 40m and was shot in San Francisco and Belize. GRADE: C+/B-