Director: Martin Donovan
Starring: Martin Donovan, David Morse, Olivia Williams, Katherine Helmond
**
A longtime fixture in American independent cinema, Martin Donovan makes his writer-director debut with this low-key thriller, which feels more like a two-handed stage play than a film.
He also stars as a depressed dramatist returning to Los Angeles to visit his elderly mother after his latest play has been savaged on Broadway. But his midlife crisis takes a bizarre turn when an apparently friendly visit from his volatile ex-con neighbour (Morse) escalates into an unsettling hostage showdown.
Morse is a powerful screen presence, all brooding resentment and wounded pride, but Donovan's talk-heavy drama never delivers the explosive emotional punch his character requires. Although well-acted and intelligent, Collaborator is ultimately a slight mood piece, mildly gripping but a little too low on spark.
