It has been said that space is the final frontier but there is one boundary that humans have been trying to penetrate for years with no success; death. Most religions have offered explanations for what happens when we die and whether there is an afterlife. Scientists seek clues to death by interviewing people with so called near death experiences and try to explain on a molecular level what occurred. In short nobody can provide empirical evidence of life after death so it remains mankind’s deepest mystery. This has been the basis of stories since mankind first told tales around a primitive camp fire. It also provides screen writers with ample subject matter for television and movies. Since the dead seem to always have some sort of unfinished business with the world of the living they appear to always have a need to communicate. In many such stories there is as much problem with the dead speaking to the living as we have with them. This ‘failure to communicate’ is the foundation of the latest supernatural dramatic thriller, ‘The Valley of Tears’ by film maker Peter Engert. This is an above average film of this type that will pull you into a strange, dark shadow world of frustration and the need for redemption. This is a common theme in this particular genre; the recently dead given one last chance to alter the path their life was previously on. Most o0f us who are not vitally challenged want to believe that at the end of it all there is a hope to make things right and start over. This film taps into this human need with a suspenseful drama that will engage the audience. We all want to believe that all we do in life is not all there is; that there is something more beyond what our senses can tell us about. ‘Valley of Tears’ crafts a strong story around these hopes and dreams providing the audience with an interesting story to ponder.

This is the freshman opus for Engert as in both scripting and direction. He has a knack for taking a fantasy premise and pulling it into the real world in an effective fashion. The main way be does this is to provide the ground work for the film by means of a set of rules that govern his particular universe. By placing some stringent limitations of the dead protagonist Engert heightens the sense of urgency for the story. In the story the dead can not directly communicate with the living. They can not speak to or even hear what the living are saying yet the ghost in question is charged with finding some way to influence the living and change their lives. This may seem like Engert is writing himself into a corner with such pronounced limitations but they make the story compelling. It also reverses the usual plot lines in such a story. Usually it is the living having a difficult time speaking to the dead but here the tables are nicely turned and we see things from the other side of the mortal veil. This perspective has been done before most notably in the Academy Award winning ‘Ghost’ but this film takes a decidedly dark and more immediate twist.

As a director Engert makes a few mistakes but they are technical and perhaps only an obsessive film student would notice. For a first time director he does a remarkable job of advancing the story while developing the character arcs. If this is how the man starts out in this profession I greatly look forward to his future works. It has to be difficult to direct actors who are not allowed by the parameters of the story to connect. It seems that it would be like managing two separate scenes simultaneously. Engert does this very well taking the obstacle and making it not only work but integral to the film. Disconnection is a major plot device here and Engert uses it to comment on a larger theme of how the living can’t seem to related properly to each other. There is one scene where a little girl is trying to open a wine bottle with a cork screw while her mother speaks to a man. She tells the man to take it away from the child but the adults lack the sense of possible danger with the child playing with a sharp object. It just seem to hit me in a way that I felt that the living have just as much problems in communication as the ghost. Engert does this throughout the movie juxtaposing the living and the dead; both isolated in their own fashion. He uses a grainy style that most likely is intended to heighten the feeling of the real world of the living. It adds a feel of mystery that works over all. The film is paced slowly which does seem appropriate in this case. It also adds to the sense of frustration that pervades the story. Many people now seem to demand fast action and driving themes. This movie demands the attention of audience as well as their patience.

The film begins in a parking garage. The first shot is an altered view of reality made with the reflection of a mirror that distorts the scene. Adam (Ezra Sutton) drives up in a bright blue jeep. He sees is wife Emily (Gabi Gubas) and their young daughter Lisa (Tyler Cornacchione) coming out. All of a sudden the sounds go mute but Adam has a vision of some sort with Emily telling him to fight for her. Two little girls scream out for help then he sees himself holding a gun to his daughter’s head. A voice booms out to the audience posing the question; ‘what if you were about to die and were given an extra moment to live, would you spend it wisely’. The scene goes into reverse motion rewinding time. Adam is a police officer who is experiencing one of the worse possible days. He is a man on the verge of losing his family and job; his world is crashing in around him. This is capped off when he meets up with a former friend, Lock (Dominick Daniel) who winds up killing Adam. Just as the last breath of life is leaving Adam he hears the voice of God. He will be given a new chance at life but only if he can change Lock alter his ways and repeat of his many sins. Upon his return Adam discovers that although he can see everything he is unable to hear the living. His only hope is to find a way to connect to Lock on an emotional level. In order to do this he tries to influence the living helping Lock to reconnect to his ex girlfriend and their daughter. Adam is further challenged when he checks in on his wife and daughter and how they are coping with his death. This is only worsening when Adam finds out that Lock plans to kill his family. As if this isn’t enough for a recently deceased man Adam must watch his former partner David (Nicholas Richberg) as he begins a relationship with Emily.

The film is an unusual and often introspective character study more than the typical ghost story that you might think. Here the story revolves around the changes in the characters and how they all interrelate to each other. Engert has created a worthwhile film here that will be appreciated if you give the movie a chance. It is brought to DVD by Image Entertainment with very good audio and video. This is a odd choice for a movie night at home but one that will not disappoint.