Critic's Grade: B+

Frank's film tip: CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES filmmaker Eric Byler serves us a TRE of goodies with his penetrating follow-up on the corruptible desires of sexual tension and loyalty in his latest carnal-carousing melodrama

Writer-director Eric Byler effortlessly conveys the unconventional boundaries of provocative platitudes in his multi-film festival award-winning melodrama Tre. In Byler’s stunning and probing debut psychosexual drama Charlotte Sometimes (2003), he skillfully explored the complicated depths of passion and pathos as set to the bewildered psyche of his quartet of featured protagonists. Refreshingly, Byler practically revisits this very same formula in Tre that is equally as absorbing, mysterious, lyrical and distinctively titillating. Stimulating and understated in its quiet potency, Byler once again has created a moody masterpiece that is thrillingly alarming in its creative strains of lusty deception and despair.

Clearly, Tre is a convenient if not a worthy and welcomed follow-up of sorts to Byler’s aforementioned gem Charlotte Sometimes where the lines are drawn closely between forbidden love, lingering desire and tested friendship. Byler, along with co-writer/star Kimberly-Rose Wolter (Tre’s leading lady), meticulously constructs this compelling exposition while using the ingredients of deceit, temptation and manipulation to give this feature length film its poetic punctuation. From the soothing and hypnotic music by Michael Brook to Rob Humphreys’s captivating scenic photographic imagery, Tre resonates with involving components of raw emotion and carnal curiosity.

The film’s main titular character is a handsome, hulking and balding smooth operator with the inexplicable ease for convincing insecure women and reinforcing their misplaced ambivalence. Tre (Daniel Cariaga) is a privileged slacker whose self-inflicted philosophy on life is simple: to basically “go with the flow”. Oddly, Tre is well-spoken and intuitive but would rather engage in the aimlessness of television-watching and infringing on someone else’s living arrangement. In contributing to society, Tre’s view is to the contrary—he would rather live off of your dime than to entertain the thought of being a “mindless 9-to-5er” that comes with strings attached in being a responsible, contributing and viable adult. In short, Tre is charismatic, terse and profoundly articulate while possessing all the natural traits of a first-class schemer.

Enter Kakela (Kimberly-Rose Wolter), an aspiring writer with visions of selling a screenplay that could kick off her scribing career. Kakela lives in an expansive, cozy home yet her frustration for churning out ground-breaking written material is a constant obstacle. The only steady joy in Kakela’s existence is her pending nuptials to horse-training fiance’ Gabe (Erik McDowell). Seemingly, Kakela and Gabe on paper look like the ideal couple—attractive, young, enterprising and looking forward to a bright future in marriage and memories. Soon the loving twosome’s union will be tested to the limit.

While working on her writing project, Kakela agrees to host a couple of houseguests—manipulator Tre (Gabe’s best friend) and gently uptight actress/waitress Nina (Alix Koromzay) who’s Kakela’s close friend. Actually, Nina is seeking sanctuary at Kakela’s estate due to a marital mishap on the part of her husband that had the audacity to kiss another woman for ten LONG grueling seconds. Dismayed and disillusioned, Nina is hurt and defensive by her spouse’s ill-advised gesture. Tre doesn’t think that Nina’s significant other committed a crime so heinous that warranted her leaving him for this hapless faux pas. Nevertheless, Tre is intrigued by the vulnerable Nina and starts to methodically work on her psychological incompleteness.

Predictably, the disoriented Nina and opportunistic Tre gravitate toward each other with torrid flair. In fact, Kakela is disturbed one late night when she eavesdrops on the tandem having sex. Surprised by this sudden bonding of Tre and Nina, Kakela is concerned because her frazzled friend could be jeopardizing her already fragile marriage. Additionally, Tre is turning out to be a distraction for Kakela around the house as she tries to concentrate on her writing endeavors. Gradually, Tre and Kakela trade barbs, share some downtime moments, smoke pot, partake in casual walks and talk shop about personal and professional ambitions.

Without realizing what her ambiguous association is causing, Kakela finds out how costly her connection is with Tre as she unassumingly is drawn to his aura. It doesn’t help that Tre discards Nina in favor of his experimental pursuit of the gorgeous-looking Kakela. There’s no hiding the obvious chemistry that exists between the confused Kakela and the subtle persistence of Tre.

Is this a telling sign that Kakela’s affections for Gabe is nothing more than a glorious phase at best? How revealing is the sexual tension that transpires between Tre’s and Kakela’s steamy trysts? Does Tre maintain genuine feelings for Kakela or is this another carefree instance of challenging manipulation? Will Tre come clean with his seductive dalliance concerning Gabe’s so-called sweetheart? Plus, who’s more neglectful in their amorous actions toward Kakela—Gabe or Tre? What is the level of guilt and blame amongst the plagued players in this twisted triangle of love and the lack of loyalty?

As with the aforementioned Charlotte Sometimes, Byler brilliantly tinkers with the mechanisms of morality and the maintenance of infidelity. Tre is a resounding character study that provides some entertaining puzzlement about the motives of lost individuals searching for elusive answers to cynical questions. The characteristics of Byler’s films are consistently saturated with weaving strings of sophisticated mayhem, social morass of inner turmoil and an indescribable seedy exuberance. Atmospherically piercing, Tre incorporates the appropriate shades of gray that surrounds this intoxicating narrative.

The performances are uniquely noteworthy. As the persuasive Tre, Cariaga demonstrates an overpowering turn as a devil-may-care cad whose laid back style in the way he deals with his nonchalant philosophizing is off-kilter in wittiness and wonderment. Cariaga’s Tre is an elegant prototype of a narcissistic menace—self-assured, blunt, cocky, observational and self-deprecating. Wolter’s Kakela is deliciously realized as the pretty yet perplexed vixen that adds an insurmountable measure of uncertainty that compromises her ethical stability. As the sideline participants to the Tre-Kakela pajama party, both McDowell and Koromzay are effectively utilized as supporting players to the hormonal suspense at hand.

Spry and caustically captivating, Tre is another winning entry from the resilient cinematic sensibilities of filmmaker Byler. Visually arousing and sensual in attitude and tone, this tale of wandering hedonism and anguish is perceptively accomplished in its rhythmic, searing spirit.

Frank rates this film: *** stars (out of 4 stars)

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