Directed by Penny Towers, Jay Carney and Frank Farbehind; ‘The Kidnapping of Jasmine Delray’ is a 2024 film noir black comedy. Shot on location in Vermont, the film stars Penny Towers, Jay Carney, Donny Osman, Jackie Frazier, Fred Wilber and others with several actors portraying multiple characters.
In the film, Penny Towers plays the lead role of Gumshoe Detective, Tony Labatchi, Jr. in 1946 Los Angeles along with several different characters of various temperaments who will immerse you in the dire circumstances within which they find themselves. It’s a quirky take on the Film Noir detective genre with both serious and comical results. Tony Labatchi, Jr. is assisted in his investigation by his father, Tony Labatchi, Sr. (played by Jay Carney), a once retired private investigator called out of retirement to assist his son. In addition to playing the lead role of Tony Labatchi, Jr., Penny Towers also plays six other roles.
First things first; the direction is fantastic. The way Penny Towers, Jay Carney and Frank Farbehind are able to weave this intricate story is laudable. With so many characters to juggle and such a complicated story to bring to life; it was always going to be risky but the trio utilised the meshing of the genres to create something unique and memorable. With a great script in place, it always comes down to the narrative pacing to conjure up a story that does the characters justice whilst taking the audience on a journey that feels both worthwhile and satisfying. Since this is the third film in a loosely connected trilogy, the directors are already well versed in making this particular form of story work.
In the visual department, Penny Towers, Jay Carney and Frank Farbehind utilise green screen to portray characters in different environments excessively. While some may find the green screen distracting, we thought it served its purpose quite well. The characters are seamlessly woven into the backgrounds and these virtual sets add some much needed flavour to every scene. One particularly comedic scene is our detectives being chased by a police car, completely in greenscreen. The design and the movement of the cars adds to the comedic nature of the scene; elevating the writing and the characters.
In the acting department, Penny Towers knocks it out of the park. Playing the lead is hard enough but Towers manages to play a whopping six other roles in a set of performances that are as varied as they can possibly be. From the stoic and centred detective to the totally zany side characters, Towers shows her fantastic range as he does each of the roles justice. Equally impressive are Donny Osman and Jackie Frazier; both of who infuse the film with much needed levity. All in all, the entire cast manages to do great and their performances elevate the entire film.
Now let’s talk about the most obvious thing when watching the film; its black and white cinematography. The creative choice to frame the film partially in black and white and partially in color makes the production better in several respects. First, it adds to the film noir aspect of the story and in the process, elevates the story that the director wants to tell. In addition, it also melds well with the journey that the main character is on. The protagonist feels muddled and directionless at the start of the film and as he meets different characters, he starts to transform in a metaphysical sense. Symbolism aside, it must also be noted that everything just looks better in black and white. Therefore,The Kidnapping of Jasmine Delray (2024) is not only a great film, it turns out to be a fantastic one. We saw this because the characters are great and memorable, the story works on multiple levels and there is enough genuine human drama mixed with natural comedy to keep audience interest hooked throughout.
There is a lot going in the film and kudos to the directing trio for keeping everything perfectly balanced. The hour long film breezes by in a flash and as the end credits roll, you find yourself yearning for more of this dose of crazy, energetic human drama.
