The film was well-done. It looked beautiful and was well-acted. Having seen the play, I was impressed to see that the film project took on a life of its own and did not come across simply as a play on film.
I must say that in the end, I hungered for more info on the 5-member team that went to Laramie, and on their reactions and motivations for writing the play/film. As is, the writer/director has chosen to let the events and the people of Laramie to speak for themselves. This is effective, but leaves the film as nothing more than a pseudo-documentary, or a re-enactment.
If you choose to make a film out of these powerful words and events, I would love to hear more from the company members about why they wrote the play, what they feel we need to overcome as a country to prevent the kind of hatred and separatism that led to the event, and exactly what role they feel art (and more specifically, this project) can play in that growth.
Maybe I'm just asking them to spoon-feed me my "lesson", instead of trusting me to draw the messages out of the film myself.
In any case, I congratulate all involved (HBO, Good Machine, Sundance, etc) for taking a chance on this important and unique film. I hope to hear from the Tectonic Theatre Company again soon.
I must say that in the end, I hungered for more info on the 5-member team that went to Laramie, and on their reactions and motivations for writing the play/film. As is, the writer/director has chosen to let the events and the people of Laramie to speak for themselves. This is effective, but leaves the film as nothing more than a pseudo-documentary, or a re-enactment.
If you choose to make a film out of these powerful words and events, I would love to hear more from the company members about why they wrote the play, what they feel we need to overcome as a country to prevent the kind of hatred and separatism that led to the event, and exactly what role they feel art (and more specifically, this project) can play in that growth.
Maybe I'm just asking them to spoon-feed me my "lesson", instead of trusting me to draw the messages out of the film myself.
In any case, I congratulate all involved (HBO, Good Machine, Sundance, etc) for taking a chance on this important and unique film. I hope to hear from the Tectonic Theatre Company again soon.