A Review of Jim Cummings Latest Film – THE BETA TEST

Since his debut feature length film, Thunder Road, Jim Cummings has been a talent to watch in the independent film market. With his latest feature film The Beta Test, Cummings offers up a dark comedy. He continues to successfully direct, write, and star in his movies. In The Beta Test, he teams up with a co-director, co-writer, and supporting actor PJ McCabe. McCabe brings a fantastic synergy with Cummings and the movie is a great ride.

Synopsis

The Beta Test centers on Jordan, a neurotic talent agent. He’s weeks away from marrying his fiancé, Caroline, played by co-producer Virginia Newcomb. Jordan is a tense individual who maintains a fake persona for work. His agency, WGN is struggling in the changing climate.  He’s facing a lot of pressure to sign good clients. His best friend, PJ, (co-director PJ McCabe), also works with him at the agency. They aggressively make plays for “package deals” as business degrades.

One day, Jordan receives a mysterious purple envelope that invites him to an anonymous sexual encounter. The invitation plagues his thoughts for days and he finally accepts. The encounter allows Jordan to have a glimpse of authenticity. When faced with returning to his contrived life, the brief exposure to genuine human interaction sets him into a tailspin. He’s compelled to learn where the purple envelope came from. Jordan pursues the mystery and risks his engagement and career to uncover the truth.

Thematic Elements

The Beta Test is a strong critique against living a disingenuous life for the sake of image or professional success. Jordan is terribly guilty of this, and works himself into neurosis trying to pass as a slick, successful agent. He’s unhappy and losing touch with his own reality. Jordan lies his way through life, and it bleeds into his psyche and relationships. We briefly meet other characters in the film who are also living lies. They, however, suffer much worse consequences than Jordan, especially when an anonymous encounter leaves them exposed.

In The Beta Test, Cummings and McCabe attack our society’s obsession with image, particularly in show business. They offer a cautionary tale for those who choose a fake life for wealth and fame. It’s dangerous to let your life run for too long under false pretenses. This is the heart of the story and it plays out beautifully, with a sprinkling of conspiracy theory flavor.

Performances

Jim Cummings gives Jordan a full-throttle intensity. Sometimes painfully uncomfortable to watch, he really nails the nuance of a broken man, living on the edge of a psychotic break down. And when he does finally reach that melting point, he does it with gusto. His performance is feverish, and at times, overwhelming. Not so much for any fault of acting. More because the film rarely takes a break in tension. It is dizzying at times, and Cummings delivers this energy effectively.

The scenes with PJ are a highlight. His character introduces a confidence that Jordan lacks. Whereas Jordan is drowning in pressure, PJ is quite at home, leading his team like a shark. It plays nicely as a reprieve from the scattered insecurity of Jordan. McCabe does a great job to counter Cummings’ energy with his own charisma. As a result, they deliver wonderful chemistry together on screen.

Another worthy call out is Jacqueline Doke as Jaclyn, Jordan’s executive assistant. Her interplay with Cummings as he is reaching his breaking point is both painful and impressive. They too, play off each other with sparkling intention.

Newcomb does a good job as Caroline. However, her character could have been used more effectively. Also, the chemistry just wasn’t there between her and Cummings. We do get a little more development towards the end of the story, but it’s not enough. A more solid foundation with Caroline would have given the film’s finale more gravitas. This is a bit of a miss for the movie.

Cinematography and Artistic Elements

The camera work and set design for The Beta Test are exceptional. Because of this, the movie is a pleasure on the eyes. The composition is gorgeous. It matches the beats of the story as well as being artistic, without distracting from the film. Blocking is effective and creative. Visually, this film is poetry-in-motion. The flow definitely helps to immerse the viewer. Bravo to cinematographer Kenneth Wales. The music is also quite good, although it is not used as a major punctuation. It helps with movement and feel, as it should. All around, the technical aspects are superb and wonderfully polished.

In Summary

The Beta Test is a lovely third directorial feature by Jim Cummings, and fantastic directorial debut for PJ McCabe. The film is a solid, modern-day fable that is crackling with energy and edge. It’s a fantastic film that takes a playfully dark jab of Hollywood types. The Beta Test will be available in select VOD streaming services on November 7^th.

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