The Story

Fellowship of the Dice is a movie about Elizabeth (Aimee Graham), a recovering party girl under house arrest who violates her probation when she's invited to a roleplaying game and accepts--despite a lack of knowledge of what she's getting into--because of the claustrophobia that's settling in on her since her confinement to home.

In some ways Fellowship is an odd combination of elements. You have the framing story of Elizabeth and her probation officer, the story of Elizabeth's first gaming session, numerous flashbacks, and a few in-character explanations of some introductory gaming concepts. Interwoven with all of that are interviews with various "conventioneers" about gaming.

Somehow the movie pulls it off. The story itself is charming, with a poignant point toward the end about why we all game. The interviews are likewise interesting, and I was always happy when we cut to them. The framing story about Elizabeth's probation was the only element that rang wrong, and fortunately it was minimalistic.

Part of the reason the movie works is because the characters of the roleplayers are interesting and well-developed. When I first met them I found them generally obnoxious--seeming exaggerations of the most annoying people you might meet at a gaming convention--but somehow over the course of the move I came to like and understand them.

I think the thing that really made the movie work was its superb rendition of an exciting, evocative, and genuinely fun roleplaying game. I was enthralled by some of the most intense scenes, and when we done my (non-roleplaying) wife said, "That makes me want to play."

I'm amazed that the producers of Fellowship of the Dice somehow managed to capture the lightning of a truly joyful gaming session on a DVD, but they did, and that alone makes the movie worth watching--though the characters, plot, and ultimate message are all good reasons as well.

I've given Fellowship of the Dice a "4" out of "5" for Substance. It's a good watch.

The Technical Side

I have a little less to say about the technical side of Fellowship of the Dice, but generally:

The acting was all good. I thought Aimee Graham was great in her alternating portrayals of enjoyment and discomfort, and the rest of the cast was good as well.

I quite enjoyed the directing, which was smart and dynamic. Though a lot of the movie consisted of discussion around the table, it was done with frequent cut shots from character to character which kept things moving.

On whole I'd give Fellowship a "4" out of "5" for Style: again, well done.

The Extras

There are two versions of this DVD on Tough Cookie's Web Site. The one I watched was the "premiere edition" which apparently comes with 4(3?) deleted scenes and 2 outtakes, as opposed to the "basic edition" which just comes with 1 outtakes. I watched through them all, and found both of the outtakes quite amusing (though one was a bit long) and the deleted scenes generally insightful. I doubt it's worth the extra $5 simply for what you get, unless you think about it supporting an interesting indie film maker--in which case it is.

Conclusion

If you enjoy roleplaying games, and you feel like they're about something more than just the game, I suggest taking a look at one of the two versions of Fellowship of the Dice.