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Reviews
First Kill (2008)
Great short, very well done
This was one of my favorite shorts from this past years Atlanta Film Festival(2009). It was shot well, but this was from an FSU film student and that is to be expected from what is considered by many as the best Film school on the east coast. The film moved very well, the acting was believable and the story itself was very good. I don't even want to describe the excellent twist in this short for fear of ruining it for you, so lets just say everything is not always how it appears. The director lets us figure out the twist by showing, not telling and staying true to the art of film. (Although eventually one character states out loud what's happening for anyone who was still lost, but in a way that didn't feel spoon fed.) The writer/director did a good job of drawing us into his story and blindsiding us with a truth we didn't see coming. I'm looking forward to see what he produces next.
I Am the Bluebird (2009)
Pretty good film, but felt a bit lacking
I too saw this film at the Atlanta Film Festival. Overall I enjoyed this film, but I still felt like it was a little too cryptic for its own good. It was a little hard to follow at times. There was some good and bad acting in it, but the disconnect I had was believing Robert Pralgo as the father. This was not due to a poor performance but bad casting as Robert looks far too young to have what appears to be a 25 year old son. (And an 18-21 year old daughter) For the budget they had on this, they did a good job. The script was a little vague at times and rambled some, but eventually the main mystery is finally explained. There were a few things that never made sense, like why the girlfriend had a foreign accent, but it wasn't critical. If you like to support indy films then I recommend watching this film at least once. I think all of the people involved in this film did a fair job of making an interesting film, but I am sure they will grow and do better work next time. You can see the promise in the work done here.
Paper Boys (2009)
Mess of a film about a crew of young men selling newspaper subscriptions
Let's start with the fact that clocking in at 2 hrs 15 mins this movie was 30-45 minutes too long, and in a movie that's poor to begin with, that adds insult to injury. Although there were a few good performances, they are the exception to the rule with this cast. (The child actor who played the lead character as a young boy was the acting highlight of the film)Also, some of the actors seemed poorly cast. I don't fully blame them as they were saddled with a terrible script and camera work that at times was so shaky. (The poor choice of shots often helped bring down the effectiveness of some scenes) The story revolves around Shawn, a 17 yr old just out of rehab and still trying to figure out what he wants or expects out of life, as well as his sexual orientation. He works with a group of men his age, led by a few 20 somethings who seem to do nothing but try to sell newspaper subscriptions, do drugs (this movie makes one of Atlanta's best and most well known bars look like a drug den), and bitch about their lives. This is a case of a possibly compelling story told poorly. The character development was sketchy at best and left you feeling like there should have been more. (Regardless of the long running time) The script was so convoluted I had a hard time following what character development there was, not to mention when they were cutting to flashbacks.(And on at least one occasion, who's flashback it was) This was a low budget production, and I applaud anyone who can turn out a finished movie to the public, but I'm not sure what could be done to make this film worth your time.
Indian Hill (2009)
A coming of age tale in small town CT in the 1970s...
"Indian Hill" tells the story of the title character Jack's quest to be the first among his friends to ride all the way to the top of Indian Hill, the toughest and steepest hill in their small Connecticut town. There's a nice back story about the clique of kids who were friends with Jack, the main character and the small town neighborhood near the Connecticut River where they all grew up. The movie is a throwback to a simpler time of late childhood where each child and neighborhood had their own challenge to overcome before you were no longer one of the "little kids." In this case beating the dreaded Indian Hill on your bicycle. Although the camera work and editing could have been better, the story is well told and supported by a surprisingly good selection of original music. You believe in the characters and find yourself pulling for them to succeed in their quest to become one of the "big kids."