Yesterday Was a Lie

This is the tale of a gumshoe who finds that time keeps shifting on her. And when you hear "gumshoe," you know that we're talking '30's or '40's, although we're never told what year it is. And when our private detective Hoyle (Kipleigh Brown) lifts the black rotary phone, we're sure this is film noir.

The film is an independent one, on low budget with high concept. The film was originally filmed in color but the film has been bleached to black and white. It's quite an effective technique, especially with two blondes whose hair shines with aura. The lighting is magnificent.

Hoyle seems to have a drinking problem, as she deals with her disjointedness with a swig of bourbon every chance she gets. She keeps coming across a blonde singer (Chase Masterson) whose name we never hear but who seems to be wherever Hoyle goes.
She's also dogged by a cast-off boyfriend, who seems to know more than he's saying.

While this film looks like it could star Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, there's no murder here to solve, just Hoyle's own personal internal mystery. And no '40's film ever looked this good.

The film would've been better as a short, as the theme is repeated and repeated to reach the length of a full-length movie. The end is less than satisfying, and, although the denouement may resemble Memento, that movie that everyone loves to talk about but hates to watch because it's so confusing, this one is not confusing by the end. It's just not up to the build-up.

Thumb's up for the intriguing look and rather new turn on an old idea. For those who only appreciate Hollywood-made excess, you're gonna want to skip it.