Cinequest Film Festival – It’s 1974. Hippies talk about revolution as the country’s attention shifts towards Nixon’s orchestrated break-in of the DNC. 18 1/2 is a Watergate-era film unlike any that we’ve seen. It has the feel of a small indie film and edges several different genres without committing to one. There’s something engrossing about the film and its array of oddball characters.

The feature stars Willa Fitzgerald as Connie, a transcriptionist who somehow stumbles upon a recording of Nixon, voiced by Bruce Campbell, and aides H.L. Haldeman (Jon Cryer) and Alexander Haig (Ted Raimi). This is the infamous 18 1/2 minutes erased from the Watergate tapes.  Connie meets with NYT reporter Paul (John Magaro), who’s hungry to land a byline that can compete with the WaPo’s historic coverage. Paul wants to hear the tape for himself, but Connie won’t let it out of her possession. The unlikely duo poses as newlyweds and book a room at the Silver Springs Motel, where they can play the tape in private as Paul takes notes.  However, the equipment won’t work, causing them to wander around the property, seeking a reel-to-reel player they can borrow, a tall feat considering the world moved on to 8-Track players by 1974.

Directed by Slamdance co-founder Dan Mirvish, 18 1/2 is hard to define. It toys with different genres while never fully aligning with one. It has shades of a romance, as Paul and Connie really start to adapt to their roles as newlyweds. It has echoes of post-Watergate conspiracy thrillers like All the President’s Men, especially the close-ups of the reel-to-reel player and surveillance shots that make you think Paul and Connie are being watched. Just when you think the story is going one way, it pulls back. Yet, it somehow still works. The appeal lies with the characters.

Two standouts are Samuel and Lena, played by Vondie Curtis-Hall and Catherine Curtin. Paul and Connie go to them, seeking a reel-to-reel player, and they end up staying for dinner. Samuel and Lena met in Paris when he was stationed in Europe during WWII. When Connie asks him what he did in the war, he responds, “We won.” It’s a deeply affecting and even unsettling exchange over the dinner table, indicating that the old married couple may have something to hide, just like Paul and Connie. Samuel also dispenses some wise advice to Paul, telling him to enjoy the early moments in the marriage because they’ll be chasing those youthful memories for the rest of their lives. These exchanges, specifically the dinner scene, are some of the strongest in the film. There are other intriguing oddball characters too, including hippie/Vietnam veteran Barry (Sullivan Jones). He’s convinced that the revolution is imminent and also blathers on about a conspiracy involving Wonder Bread.

When the credits roll, it’s hard to tell what exactly to make of 18 1/2. It doesn’t make any bold statement about the Nixon era. Heck, it doesn’t even commit to a genre. Yet, there’s something memorable about the film that’s tough to pin down. Maybe because we’re living in an age of even whackier conspiracy theories, the film simply clicks. Regardless, this is a standout feature by a veteran filmmaker filled with bizarre and dare I say a few endearing characters.

7 Out of 10