Film Review: The Last Treasure Hunt

The Last Treasure Hunt: A Melodrama About Sibling Unity

The film “the last treasure hunt” is a melodrama about an estranged brother and sister who return home following their father’s untimely death. The children discover that their father died unexpectedly as a result of a second heart attack, but the first that they were aware of. When they were younger, the Sinclair family had a custom of going on a treasure hunt every year (Biesemans). When the children discover that their father devised a treasure hunt for them to locate their wealth, they are taken aback.The children Oliver and Lucy are then forced to put aside their past differences to honor their father’s last wish.

Analysis

Just like a good novel, the film “the last treasure hunt” has various cinematic elements which either contribute to or distract the overall production and story. Some of the elements include;

Directing

Film directing is an essential element in any movie as it controls the script guide, dramatic and artistic aspects. The film “the last treasure hunt” was directed by Patrick Biesemans. Biesemans gives direction to the crew while guiding the overall vision. The script was, however, written by Kate Murdoch and Casey Nelson who also starred in the movie as Lucy and Oliver Sinclair (The Last Treasure Hunt). The setting of the film is on a coastal island which brings out beautiful scenes thought the movie. The success f the film indicates the director’s good working relationship with other support areas, i.e., design team, his directing crew, sound unit, photography unit, and the film cast.

Sound

The last treasure hunt film uses various soundtracks to bring out different experiences and emotions to the motion pictures being shown. The director of the film uses diegetic, nondiegetic and internal diegetic t express different moods within the film. For instance, the scene where Oliver and Lucy are searching for clues and Lucy snatches Oliver’s phone making him chase after her, the soundtrack, brothers, and sisters by Marjorie fair plays in the background (The Last Treasure Hunt (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)). The two siblings have had a rivalry in the past; however, the treasure hunting activity seems to have brought them together and they were bonding.

The music used in the film is also exclusively indie rock. This choice of music is used to express the gothic nature of the starring characters. Lucy, for instance, wears gothic clothes and has gothic characteristics. The music identifies with the characters who are young. The success of the two siblings is based on them staying together. However, they are often engaged in quarrels affecting their quest. The music, finding hope by Abbot Kinney is played when then Oliver tries to mend their relationship with an apology to Lucy. The music brings out the theme of hope as they go on to solve the last clues successfully together.

Editing

Editing connects the different visual images from different scenes to bring out the film’s storyline. From this film, various editing techniques are used to bring cohesiveness and coherence to the movie. The most common editing technique used in the film “the last treasure hunt” is the “cut” technique. The editor uses this method to portray the homecoming of the two siblings (Murdoch). i.e., from the scene where Oliver bids his wife goodbye and the scene where Lucy is coming home aboard a ship.

The editor also uses the fade technique. This technique is used to depict an end to a particular scene and the start of another stage or chapter in the storyline. First, the editor used the method at the beginning of the film. The first view shows old Sinclair in his house holding the treasure box. The scene then fades to reveal the present time of Oliver’s homecoming (Murdoch). The fade technique in this view is used to depict a change in time, i.e., since old Sinclair was alive and the current period after his death and homecoming of his children. Also, the editing of shots in the film tend to belong. This tries explicitly to bring out the dear that the events in the movie are unfolding in real time.

Costumes

Costumes present a quick signal about a character to the audience. Also, costumes in a film help to create contrasts between characters. The setting of the film, the last treasure hunt indicates a modern setting where the characters are dressed in casual costumes. The costumes are simple and portray different characteristics of each character (Biesemans). Lucy, for instance, skips her studies to come home after the death of her father. Her costumes indicate the nature of a college girl with much of her tops being ripped and graphic prints. When she goes for shopping and meets with her old-time friend with whom they have sex, she was dressed in a graphic top with skull prints. She also wears denim jeans in many of the scenes with black boots all of which are considered gothic and familiar with American college students.

Oliver, on the other hand, dresses casually and his dressing indicates the economic hardships that he is going through in his life. Oliver has a heavily pregnant girlfriend whom he doesn’t want to tell his sister at first. He also has a store which he has not been paying rent and the landlord is not impressed with him. He chooses to wear jeans with checked shirts in many of the scenes (The Last Treasure Hunt). Oliver also likes to keep fit and can be seen wearing workout costumes in the morning.

Acting

The two stars in the film, Lucy, and Oliver feature in almost every scene as they seek to unravel the clues left by their father to the treasure. The two also co-wrote the script making it easier for them to act naturally.

In conclusion, the last treasure hunt film like many other treasure hunt films brings out an exciting adventure with two siblings. The film also brings out the theme of sibling rivalry between the Sinclair who have to solve their differences and work together to find their father’s treasure by answering a series of clues. The film director puts together various cinematic elements to achieve the movie’s success. Some of the cinematic aspects used include directing which is done by Patrick Biesemans. Other features used in the film include Editing, which is done by Mathew Jensen. Mathew uses editing techniques such as cuts, fade and dissolve. The use of casual costumes also helps bring out the various characteristics of the actors. Lastly, the film also uses different forms of sound to express various moods and emotions in the movie.

Works Cited

Murdoch, Kate. The Last Treasure Hunt. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-last-treasure-hunt--2#/, 2016. Accessed 23 Nov 2017.

The Last Treasure Hunt. 2016. https://letterboxd.com/film/the-last-treasure-hunt/. Accessed 23 Nov 2017

The Last Treasure Hunt (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). 2016. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-last-treasure-hunt-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/id1091911122. Accessed 23 Nov 2017.

THE LAST TREASURE HUNT. Dir. Patrick Biesemans. Perf. Kate Murdoch Casey Nelson. 2016. http://filmpulse.net/dwf-2015-the-last-treasure-hunt-review/. Accessed 23 Nov 2017.