One of the most interesting and unique aspects of this little-known indie thriller is the casting. In the tradition of Luis Bunuel's surrealistic "That Obscure Object of Desire," two actresses play the female lead, that is, the same character. But director George Cotayo and his screenwriter brother, Charles Cotayo, have taken this motif one step further by also having two actors play the male protagonist, although in this case one has blond hair and the other black hair.
This risky artistic choice/experiment manages to work because the "double-casting" is connected to the "side-effects" caused by an illicit drug called Decophanolin, or "Deco", that's key to the plot. In fact, the seamless switching from one actor to another and one actress to another is precisely what makes the movie so different and interesting. Nothing like this has ever been done before.
The film was obviously made on a very limited budget, but the locations, photography, editing, and music are excellent. Some of the acting is outstanding considering that the players were essentially new to the film medium when the picture was made in the mid to late 1990s.
Despite its complexities, the spoofing of political paranoias, and its overall satirical flavor, it's not a hard story to follow because it is kept very visual and highly suspenseful. This is one film that is begging to be remade by a major studio!
This risky artistic choice/experiment manages to work because the "double-casting" is connected to the "side-effects" caused by an illicit drug called Decophanolin, or "Deco", that's key to the plot. In fact, the seamless switching from one actor to another and one actress to another is precisely what makes the movie so different and interesting. Nothing like this has ever been done before.
The film was obviously made on a very limited budget, but the locations, photography, editing, and music are excellent. Some of the acting is outstanding considering that the players were essentially new to the film medium when the picture was made in the mid to late 1990s.
Despite its complexities, the spoofing of political paranoias, and its overall satirical flavor, it's not a hard story to follow because it is kept very visual and highly suspenseful. This is one film that is begging to be remade by a major studio!
