Losing Ground

In translating his play to film, Bryan Wizemann avoids the staginess that mars most cinematic adaptations of staged work. He is well supported by his actors, each of whom fully inhabits their characters' sense of desperation and addiction. A gambling bar in Vegas provides the claustrophobic setting for a group of addicts' Pavlovian responses to the potential big score their video poker machines may hold. The drama unfolds in real time without a specific narrative line, but Wizemann's screenplay peppers the journey with subtle road signs that clue us into the characters' back story, flaws and motivation. From the hardened, seasoned vet (Monique Vukovic) to the desperate fading beauty way in over her head (Eileen O'Connell), Losing Ground pulls no punches in depicting how the sadomasochistic cycle of addiction entraps all who fall into its downward spiral. Wizemann's subtle character piece ultimately hinges on the blatant actions of a clichéd mystery man (the cowboy symbolism is way too obvious), but the last line of his film smacks with a bitter irony that redeems the work. 7.5 out of 10.