Gary Collinson reviews Sophie’s Fortune…
I first became aware of the work of Northern director Chris Cronin when I had the pleasure of watching his award-winning 2011 short Ante, a tight and suspenseful thriller which clearly demonstrated Chris’ potential as a filmmaker. Since Ante, he’s partnered up with rising producer Phil Meachem on a series of shorts, including the “action sketch” Hail of Bullets and the musical romance Moments, not to mention their most recent offering, the ambitious action-adventure Sophie’s Fortune.
Turning up late to a children’s birthday party with his young niece Sophie, Brandon (Simon Hardwick) looks to make amends for missing out on all the cake and sweets by taking part in the annual Father’s Only treasure hunt, hoping to win the prize put a smile on Sophie’s face. Unfortunately for Brandon, the fathers take this tradition seriously – very seriously – and soon he finds himself racing through an Amazonian-like rainforest, navigating ancient booby-trapped ruins and battling gun-toting mercenaries in his quest for ‘Sophie’s Fortune’.
Harking back to 80s classics like The Goonies and Raiders of the Lost Ark (complete with John Williams-esque score), Sophie’s Fortune is described as “a big budget concept with no budget” and boy does it deliver on that. Created over two years with over 100 talented individuals contributing to the thirty-minute short, Sophie’s Fortune is a hugely entertaining and highly polished film, packed with stunning visuals – from the superb cinematography through to the impressive visual effects – bone-crunching fight scenes, and explosive, large-scale action set pieces.
The cast in Sophie’s Fortune all deliver solid performances, with more than a few laughs along the way as the fathers take increasingly drastic measures through their testosterone-fueled thirst for victory. However, the real plaudits are reserved for Cronin and his talented team and I really hope Sophie’s Fortune helps to put them firmly on the map. If this is the results with no budget, then you have to wonder what Chris and company could achieve with some money behind them, and someone really ought to make this happen. If you get a chance to watch Sophie’s Fortune, do so. You won’t be disappointed.
Gary Collinson is a writer and lecturer from the North East of England. He is the editor-in-chief of FlickeringMyth.com and the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.
Originally published February 27, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
