Review: "University Heights"

By John Oak Dalton / MICROCINEMASCENE.COM / July 23, 2004

A drug-dealing professor, a colleague who questions his sexuality, and several of their problematic students are the focus of a fairly fully-realized tapestry of characters and situations in Scott Beck’s ensemble piece University Heights. How these troubled character’s lives cross each other’s paths in various ways, sometimes explosively, is at the core of the drama.

Beck has a good eye for shooting and editing and comes up with some nice set pieces, including the opening sequence and some well-executed side jaunts into different character’s thoughts. His cast compliments his work with some finely-wrought performances, such as Jim Siokos’ turn as the haunted prof trying to get out of the criminal life; but especially compelling were Sabien Minteer and Justin Marxen as two street toughs whose constant goading and bullying of each other and others leads to tragedy.

But University Heights loses its thread with some shaky plotting, especially in the last third of the feature. Beck is a young director, and perhaps can be excused the fantasy that the brightest, prettiest, tannest girl in college will romantically pursue a mumbling, awkward, pale geek, but other elements can’t be glossed over so readily; like the singularly most unhelpful suicide hotline operator ever, nor the fact that a judiciously-placed call to 911 during at least three critical junctures in the feature could have drastically altered the outcome of the character’s lives.

I think Beck has his visual storytelling down pat, but needs seasoning in emotional storytelling to allow his work to fully come into its own. Still, University Heights is a watchable microcinema drama with several attractive elements. I would be interested in seeing more from Scott Beck.

Two and a half stars.