First Shift Review: Boll’s Flawed but Entertaining Police Drama

Uwe Boll is no stranger to controversy in the film world. The German director first made waves in the early 2000s with low-budget video game adaptations that were savaged by many critics as spectacularly terrible. Called everything from the worst filmmaker ever to cinema’s true “Ed Wood,” reaction to Boll’s earlier projects was certainly vicious at times.

So when Boll returned in 2022 with First Shift, his first feature since 2016, expectations were understandably mixed. Set in New York City, First Shift pairs a hardened veteran detective with an eager rookie partner for their first shift together. On paper, it sounded like the makings of a gritty police drama in the vein of Training Day. In practice, would Boll’s filmmaking abilities have evolved at all?

My goal going in wasn’t to prejudge but to observe with an open perspective. As with any director, it’s fair to acknowledge past failures but wise to consider growth too.

No one creates in a bubble, and even questionable earlier work can stem from earnest passion. Perhaps most importantly, every movie stands on its own merits regardless of past reputation. With that in an open yet cautious mindset, I set out to see what this controversial director might show us next.

Getting to Know Deo and Angela

The core of First Shift lies in the partnership between hardened veteran detective Deo Russo and eager rookie Angela Dutton. Assigned to train her for their first shift together, Deo isn’t thrilled about the arrangement. He prefers working alone after years on the streets. Angela on the other hand can’t wait to dive in.

Deo maintains a stoic veneer but harbors deep scars from his past cases. A loner by nature, he keeps people at arm’s length. His spacious apartment speaks of a solitary lifestyle. Yet underneath peers a compassionate soul as he bonds with a stray dog. Meanwhile, Angela radiates optimism, hoping to make a difference in her new community. Social media connects her to family back home, though some see this as unfitting for an officer.

Over long hours patrolling Brooklyn, their differences emerge. Deo’s rigid views clash with Angela’s progressive ideals. Silences fill the car until casual debates erupt. Though irritating each other, a grudging respect builds as each saves the other from peril. But their shifting dynamic faces distractions from side stories only tangentially weaved in.

One involves a mob hit on a father and son, found by Deo with a detached glance. Elsewhere, an unstable man barricades in a bathroom while his girlfriend pleads outside, to questionable relevance for our cops. Most distracting involves an older man collapsing in the store, sending Deo into caretaker mode for his dog.

These feel like the beginnings of larger plots abruptly inserted and ignored. With such divided attention, the central character arcs disappear down side alleys. It’s a shame as Deo and Angela prove the most compelling aspect, their chemistry bringing glimpses of a thoughtful police drama beneath the surface diversions. With focus solely on these inherently interesting characters, First Shift may have achieved more.

Handheld Vision, Low-Budget Blues

For a police drama set on gritty NYC streets, Boll had the right idea shooting First Shift for real in bustling New York. Unfortunately, budget constraints showed in the end product. With limited funds, every technical element felt makeshift at times.

Mathias Neumann’s cinematography strived for that handheld documentary feel—intimate snapshots of Deo and Angela’s busy day. Yet the roving camera grew nauseating, continuously shaky frames distracting from dialogue. Subtle steadycam, this was not. Editing from Ethan Maniquis sliced between scenes erratically, failing to establish geography or tension.

Low lighting seemed an attempt at noirish shadowplay but often solely concealed poor exposure. Ineffectual action optics, like the butcher knife incident, hurriedly cut so fast, it was impossible to follow the action. Some intriguing ideas emerged, like a time-lapse depicting the city, but felt shoehorned without rhythm.

With such haphazard techniques, finer details inevitably suffered. Acting, locations, and production design deserve praise, particularly Pesi and Renton’s natural rapport. But the form itself undermined the content at each turn. Visionary cinematography, this was not.

Still, not all was lost; glimpses of Boll’s artistry shone through. tender moments expressed empathy skillfully, like Deo bonding with a stray canine. Perhaps visualizing intent mattered more to this director than slick execution. Regardless of flaws, one must admire Boll’s relentless passion to create, even under limitations few would tolerate. Maybe First Shift said more about its maker’s heart than technical panache.

Bringing Boll’s Buffoons to Life

In the hands of Gino Anthony Pesi and Kristen Renton, First Shift’s mismatched cops emerged as the most fascinating part. Pesi embodied Deo’s hardened exterior through piercing eyes, conveying oceans of resolve and regret left unspoken. Though the character lacked nuance, Pesi drew us in with troubled gazes that said more than pages of dialog.

Renton meanwhile sparkled with charm and humor as the bubbly rookie Angela. Scenes centered on her bubbly optimism, which offset Deo’s gloom perfectly. Angela’s quest to connect, whether with the public or her partner, felt authentic. While her influencer traits felt a tad contrived, Renton sold every line with gusto.

Together, Pesi and Renton sold the awkward chemistry between their out-of-Sync cops. Through spirited banter and respect slowly blossoming opposite tumultuous views, their exchanges carried First Shift along. Had Boll invested wholly in these inherently watchable central characters, richer portraits may have emerged.

Alas, supporting roles received shorter shrift. Tia Dionne Hodge’s police captain existed more as a device to pair the cops than a character. Minor parts blurred into each other with insufficient fleshing out. Cameos distractingly inserted vague seeds of plots left untouched.

Still, beneath budget constraints, Pesi and Renton breathed heart into Boll’s bizarre buffoons. Their lively energy and appeal as unwilling partners made First Shift an imperfect but ultimately enjoyable buddy-cop lark. With tighter focus on such engaging leads, Boll may have crafted an offbeat gem.

Subtext Lost in Translation

On paper, First Shift teased thought-provoking themes. Deo’s stubborn isolation clashed with Angela’s open-minded youth. Their intergenerational debates hinted at societal fault lines. Yet Boll struggled with developing such ideas.

Occasional monologues saw Deo lecture on topics like feminism or crime waves. But hamfisted delivery made his commentary come across as boorish rants instead of insightful explorations. Subtext was spelled out, but depth was lacking.

Angela’s progressiveness also felt tabloid-thin, reduced to buzzwords without genuine perspective. Like Deo, she existed more to mouth platitudes than grapple with issues in a meaningful way.

Perhaps aiming for gritty police procedural realism, as some scenes achieved, prevented Boll diving deeper. But superficial messages undermined goals of social insight.

For all Pesi and Renton’s chemistry, their characters remained shallow vehicles for preaching instead of probes into complex subjects. Plots wandered without reinforcing overarching theses.

Potential allegories for societal rifts seemed like afterthoughts. Which was a missed chance, as weightier subtext could have elevated straightforward entertainments. First Shift hinted at profundity yet balked at delivering meaningful dialogue. Fine actors and topics deserved substance over surface.

Uneven Partners on the Beat

First Shift sought to follow in the footsteps of police procedurals like Training Day, putting a seasoned veteran cop together with an eager rookie. Where it fell short was in matching the slick execution of its influences.

While the location shoots in New York aimed for gritty realism like predecessors, First Shift never achieved the same gripping intensity. Shoddy cinematography and editing constantly disrupted momentum. Technical flaws abounded where polished craft enhanced forebears.

Still, beneath uneven visuals lay the kernel of a character-driven story with potential. The dynamic between Deo and Angela, though familiar, tapped into that interpersonal vein so central to classics of the genre. Here, Boll showed flickers of forging compelling portraits within limitations few could overcome.

Had focuses remained narrower on these inherently watchable leads, depths plumbed in police partnerings past may have emerged. Instead, scattered subplots distracted from their evolving bond. Yet even in imperfection, the core relationship hinted at resonating themes that, with refinement, could have resonated fuller.

First Shift fell short of genre titans but indicated Boll grasped keys to their success. With tightened focus on what captivated most—his characters—future efforts may realize potential glimpsed in this well-intentioned, if unfinished, start.

Glimmers of Growth Amid Imperfections

In the end, First Shift highlighted both continuities and changes for Uwe Boll. Flaws in scripting and execution echoed past works, but Pesi and Renton’s dynamic hinted at progress understanding character nuance.

True, Boll’s direction and haphazard subplots fell short. But his willingness to challenge norms and bankroll passion projects despite controversy shows perseverance. Not many venture what Boll has, for better or worse.

And however imperfectly, works like First Shift indeed entertain. Its heart, while palpably flawed, was in creating. With time, perhaps Boll masters marrying intent to execution as his cast already does.

As for franchise potential teased, First Shift left potential hanging. Yet Pesi and Renton proved compelling leads if Boll refined future adventures around them. Maybe Boll will someday seamlessly interweave playfulness and profundity as glimpses motivated.

For now, First Shift emerges as an uneven yet earnest step forward. In flaws echo past, but glimmers innovating hints future fortunes brighter if Boll continues evolving his style and care. Only more movies will tell how far this maverick creator can truly grow.