On July 13, the LA Times headline read, “Indie thriller ‘Misfortune’ is an impressive spin on familiar turf.” The write-up that followed was a positive review of Malibu resident Desmond Devenish’s first feature-length film.
“‘Misfortune’ recycles such familiar genre tropes as ill-gotten gains, double-crosses, ruthless gunplay and last-chance locales, but serves them up in a taut, twisty and involving way,” the reviewer wrote.
Devenish, who moved to Malibu from LA a year ago, co-starred, directed, co-produced and co-wrote the low-budget indie film. Although he’s had various acting and directing projects, including playing the part of “Little Frankie” in a big-budget Broadway production of “On the Waterfront,” he’s always wanted to be a filmmaker.
The LA Times said Devenish looks like “Jon Hamm’s blonde brother.” When asked for his reaction, he laughed and said, “I’ll take it! … Press is a very vital thing for any artist and one of the most important things in the whole filmmaking process—you want to express your creativity, but the other side is you want people to see your movie.
“I had a publicist and reached out to a lot of press, but I found out other filmmakers didn’t go to such lengths, which I find fascinating,” Devenish said. “Because for me, making a film is such a grandiose endeavor, why not go the extra distance to get some press?”
Devenish reflected that some of the reviews taught him a lot.
“I’ve learned to take feedback from the press, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. This is part of the process of sharing your work: having people comment on it.”
While several reviewers referred to “Misfortune” as a “vanity project,” Devenish takes exception to that phrase.
“It’s an assumption that reviewers make when they see the two leads are also the co-writers,” he said. “But this is how actors, writers and filmmakers can get seen. It was a way to showcase my work and what I can do. Maybe I wore a few too many hats, but it was important for me to do that … Matt Damon and Ben Affleck made a huge leap early on with ‘Good Will Hunting,’ which they co-wrote and starred in.”
The making of this film did not come without personal sacrifice—Devenish literally sold his house to get the money to finish it.
“That was a huge thing for me—the decision whether I’d rather own my home or make a movie. But finally, I realized I didn’t want to never know what it felt like to make a movie.”
After a previous feature deal came tantalizingly close but fell through several years ago, Devenish started co-writing “Misfortune,” but shelved it to do his first short film, “Closure,” which gave him experience doing the film festival circuit. He came back to “Misfortune” at the end of 2013 and finished post-production in 2016.
Devenish went on the film festival circuit for nine months with “Misfortune,” where it won the Yellow Rose Award at the Jaipur International Film Festival, best feature at the Black Hills Film Festival in South Dakota and opened the Chelsea Film Festival in New York.
As a result of the awards and attention from reviewers, including the LA Times and Hollywood Reporter, the film was represented by a film sales agent, shown in a number of theaters, then picked up by Netflix, where it will be available for viewing in a few months.
If Devenish learned anything from the process of creating and showing his film, it’s patience.
“It’s a lot slower process than I thought it’d be,” he said, “especially when you have such a passionate, fiery excitement to get something out there.”
Devenish is already on to his next film project, which he expects to be even bigger and better: “Eddie & Sunny,” based on a novel by Stacey Cochran.
“We’ve had industry coverage on it, and it’s been considered by industry professionals with very positive feedback, so we’re in the process now of reaching out to investors and very recognizable talent,” Devenish said.
The story is about a homeless couple with a child who commit a crime and become fugitives.
“It’s suspenseful, a love story and a human redemption story,” he said.
As far as his decision to move to Malibu, Devenish said, “Malibu has changed my life—it’s my muse, my inspiration. I’m in such a receptive mode now. This place has given me so much. I’m very grateful to be here.”
