The Beta Test
Blue Finch Film ReleasingOne lingering issue that may affect the purpose and success of The Beta Test is the perception of its main character. Jim Cummings’ latest project sees a collaboration with PJ McCabe and another starring role. His comfort in front of and behind the camera is a desirable quality that he has exhibited well since debut feature Thunder Road. He will hold onto that dependable, independent charm for a while longer. Cummings now finds himself in that purgatory between hitting the big leagues or slumping back down to the low, low limbo of straight-to-VOD fodder. He is on the precipice, and that danger must excite new avenues of creativity. The Beta Test shows all his strengths as both a director and actor, but getting to grips with the fresh ideas is difficult.
Appearances are deceiving. Cummings hopes to use this as an angle of analysis not just for his opening, but the context that subsumes the ensemble on display. Venomous intentions are found behind the words and mannerisms of those who interact with Jordan (Cummings). His anti-Hollywood styling is cautious but entertaining. An agent with greater intentions, there is nothing particularly unlikeable about Jordan initially. No bones to pick with the man trying to network and produce, the engaging and charming individual trying to swing his way up the ladder that inch further. Cummings is, as expected, a strong standout in this role. That comfort he found in Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a definitive trait of his work, a meritable one too. He must adapt from there, though. The Beta Test is another rendition of his typical characteristics, but they are running out of steam and desire a change of pace.
Fitting it may be for The Beta Test to feature such a character, it is a rendition audiences will have seen before if they are aware of Cummings’ previous works. Credit where it is due, he has run with this shtick and made it work for so long, but it is a tad disappointing to see there is little growth in front of the camera. No inclination to show audiences what could be next for Cummings’ trajectory. Gifted technical merits and a keen knack for those slow-moving cameras, the zoom at an achingly tense pace, they’re all still part of this actively enjoyable parcel, but they are not developed any further than his previous projects. Growth is not the issue, but a direction for where Cummings is headed next. The Beta Test is an enjoyable feature with some cutting criticism at the heart of it.
Applying new terms and rules to that ever-present criticism of Hollywood, The Beta Test has the good grace to hammer home its message against its target and never relents. Cummings makes it impossible to disregard his points and commentary because of how frequently he and his characters rely on it. They are lashing out at the obstructions of the world around them, and Cummings’ infectiously enjoyable charm is more than enough to see an audience through this one. His lighter touch is felt once more. Thoroughly enjoyable, and while those quips and stabs at the Hollywood world and the cutthroat business are engaging, they are the smokescreen for Cummings’ similar light-entertainment style. He is on the up and up, but with one role replicated thrice so far, he must think bigger and broader for his next effort.