Review: Sole Proprietor (2016)

[Mark R. Leeper]

SOLE PROPRIETOR
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

CAPSULE: A CIA operative hoping to retire finds himself
drawn back into one last piece of deadly work as his
ticket to retiring. Jack of all cinematic trades Don
Eberle does the most of everything creative on this
film. He produces, writes, directs, for this film that
stars--who else?--Don Eberle. With nobody
to tell him when he is wrong he lets himself go a little
astray stylistically, but he has a few nice moves in the
screenplay as his story goes on. Rating:
high +1 (-4 to +4) or 6/10

In SOLE PROPRIETOR Don Eberle plays Crowley, formerly an agent for
the CIA. Crowley is used to traveling the world, but this story is
set almost entirely in Manhattan (likely perhaps so that the
production could economize). Now he is weary of the killing-people
vocation and wants to retire. However retiring is not easy. The
film is about Crowley, a man of action, very strong, very
masculine--a role that Eberle might well enjoy playing. But
Crowley has Michael Corleone's problem. "Just when I thought I was
out they pull me back in." Eberle has to do one more piece of
work. And while that job is prepared for him he is amusing himself
with a very top-grade prostitute, the mysterious Sophie (Alexandra
Hellquist). Soon the characters will be closely linked.

Eberle says that he gives actors the space to excel in the films he
directs. I wonder if that is voluntary. It seems to me that he
might have to give up some control on the performances. With all
the tasks he has assigned himself, he perhaps does not have
resource to manage each performance as well. So the title of his
film may be apt and refer to him. He most likely does not have
time to spell things out for the cast. Eberle is the star of the
film; he is the sole source of the story; he is the sole writer of
the screenplay; he is one of the producers; and he is the sole
director of the film. He has given himself a lot to do wearing all
those hats on making SOLE PROPRIETOR. As a result the acting is
spotty, some good, some just okay. Chris Graham could have had an
ounce more ethnicity in his part as a Russian killer. Alexandra
Hellquist on the other hand is intriguing as the prostitute.
Eberle plays his own role as strong and a little in the mold of
actors like Jason Statham, particularly with two day growth of
beard.

While at times the film runs a little slow, by the time it is all
over there has been a story told. Some touches seem a bit
artificial. While everything in the city seem to be shown in cold
steel blue and gray, scenes shout in the countryside break out in
yellow-green. SOLE PROPRIETOR does not rise far, but it does rise
above it very low budget. While some corners might have had to be
cut on the production, Eberle had the freedom to make the story as
good as he could write it. It does not fall into the trap of being
a typical action film. Just when it is needed to wake up the
viewer enough plot elements come together to make the film at least
interesting. I rate SOLE PROPRIETOR a high +1 on the -4 to +4
scale or 6/10.

August 12 SOLE PROPRIETOR was released Internet download and to
limited theatrical release.

Film Credits:
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1733729/combined>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/sole_proprietor>


Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 2016 Mark R. Leeper