Change Your Image
review-7
Reviews
How to Rob a Bank (and 10 Tips to Actually Get Away with It) (2007)
A Fun Romp!
It's difficult to make a film where nothing happens exciting to the viewer, but the filmmakers have done that here. Because nothing happens. And it works anyway. The cinematography is original and well done. The way the DP has the camera move gives you a real feel for the location and the claustrophobia the characters must feel. One shot in particular stands out. The camera moves from the vault back through the bank, out a bullet hole, and ends with the cops.
The dialogue is sharp and often funny. You might not be repeating any lines to your friends but the dialogue feels real. Okay, there was a little exposition, but not a lot. The exchange that ends with "I have his number if you want it" cracked me up.
The situations with cell phone use feel authentic in how they play out. The characters' frustrations and lack of cleverness is a refreshing change from most films. The editing is fairly tight. Scenes don't drag.
The Last Kiss (2006)
No Clichés
One of the best films of 2006. It was entirely marketed wrong. I avoided it in theaters because I thought it was a film about juvenile fantasies. It's so much more than that. The relationships felt real and multi-layered. Decisions aren't easy and they aren't black and white.
None of the characters are heinous, but all are flawed. In most films, one of two women would be an awful person to give the hero an easy way out. Not here. I understood all of their decisions and felt empathy when the characters went through what they were going through.
In most films, supporting characters have nothing to do. Here, the characters have stories that play off the main character's story. No one is window dressing or there to give our hero sage advice. Well done. This film should have been better received.
Milk Can (2005)
Excellent! Low Budget Marvel!
I saw this film at the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival and was pleasantly surprised. The film was funny and kept me involved. The satire of war is wonderfully placed in two small towns. The filmmaker winks at you, hoping that you'll go along with the idea that people will start a war over a high school football game.
The digital effects were original, unlike any I'd ever seen. In fact, there were some effects that were so good I had no idea they were effects. I can't believe they never had more than a handful of extras.
This film looks like the filmmakers spent a couple of million on it, but they spent maybe a few hundred thousand. Excellent first time effort by Matt Kresling.
Urban Ghost Story (1998)
Low Budget Scares
Being an American, I was familiar with American independents, but hadn't experienced low budget features from abroad. I didn't know what to expect. "Urban Ghost Story" was a pleasant surprise. We have nothing on the Brits.
While this film occasionally shows it's low budget, that becomes part of the film's charm. The filmmakers are saying that they didn't spend a lot, but they can still bring the audience a lot. The film feels very stark, eerie, and enclosed. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what comes next. Sometimes frightening me about what comes next. And then it gave me a finale that I was certain probably cost more than the budget of the entire movie. I have no idea how they did that.
5 Card Stud (2002)
Smart, Sexy, and Funny
I saw this at a film festival and it was a pleasant surprise. This film is a hidden gem, as long as you're not expecting a lot of big budget tricks. The filmmakers do a lot with a low budget. They concentrate on story, character, and dialogue.
Khrystyne Haje and Larry Toffler have nice chemistry and the supporting characters provide comic relief. The film explores relationships in a fun, sexy way, dealing with two characters who may or may not be meant to be. I enjoyed this thoroughly and so did the festival audience. When it gets out on DVD, people really should rent it.
But does he really never bluff?
The Fittest (2004)
Engrossing and Clever!
An engrossing clever film that reminds me of a Neil LaBute film.
No one in this film is likable. That's usually the kiss of death in any film, yet the filmmakers are able to make the film engrossing without a strong hero the audience wants to root for. These people all exist left of center, but the filmmakers are able to get the audience to stick with them. Jason Madera is especially strong as Freddy, giving a touch of strength in order to convey that this guy isn't a loser.
Well cast and a strong plot, the film took me in to the point that I no longer noticed the low budget and poor sound mix. The score has the right whimsy for the film though. Catch this one, it's a keeper.