Its beginning is rather inauspicious. An armed middle-aged woman barges into a house screaming something like I want him back! A terrified young woman retreats to an upstairs bathroom and pleads for mercy. There is a lot of hysterical shouting while overbearing music blares. Its disorienting and comes across as somewhat comical.
Stick with it though because it gets much better. The first half of Scalene unfolds in a manner similar to Memento. A brief scene ends and we move back in time to a scene that leads up to the one that preceded it.
The older woman is Janice Trimble (the amazingly talented Margo Martindale, recently seen as Mags Bennett on Justified). The younger woman is college student Paige Alexander (Hanna Hall). The him referred to by Janice is her son Jakob (Adam Scarimbolo). Paige had been a part-time caregiver for Jakob. He suffered brain damage 15 years prior and is disabled. He doesnt speak and requires constant monitoring.
Janice is livid because Paige has accused Jakob of sexual assault. He must undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine the type of care he needs. Janice does not believe Jakob is capable of doing what hes accused of and does not want him in a mental hospital.
Halfway through the perspective shifts from Janice to Paige. It begins with Paige seeing an advertisement for a caregiver position on her schools campus. The story unfolds in chronological order from this point on.
Janice is worn out. Taking care of Jakob is extremely difficult and she needs the occasional break from it. With a part-time job and a potential new boyfriend, she hires Paige to look after Jakob a few times a week for 3-4 hours at a time.
As it works its way to the day when Janice ambushes Paige, there is a genuine sense of uncertainty. Did Jakob do it? Did Janice kill Paige? Exactly how much does Jakob really understand?
With few locations and characters, Scalene kind of feels like a play. It helps that the acting is strong, particularly the always great Martindale and the outstanding Scarimbolo. He gives a remarkable performance in a challenging role.
It ends quietly in stark contrast to how it began. And while its fairly low-key and hardly packed with unexpected twists or much action, its a well-constructed, involving, and intriguing film.
