This was quite an accomplishment by the young director. Being a big fan of Gus van Sant's Elephant, I found the derivation in this film a bit distracting. If you haven't seen Elephant, that won't bother you.
I found the interspersed black and white 'talking heads' interviews artificial and contrived and the film would have benefited if they had been edited out. The ending was more graphic (violent) than needed and the whodunit aspect was also a little unnecessary.
These criticisms aside, this was a remarkable effort by the young director and his credit at the end was very moving. The film was beautifully photographed, and the hand-held digital camera was used to great effect. The tree scenes were nicely done. The actors generally performed quite well. Though I like Gary Sweet, the film would have benefited by using an unknown, in keeping with the authentic look of the film.
Definitely better than average film, and the director has great potential.
I found the interspersed black and white 'talking heads' interviews artificial and contrived and the film would have benefited if they had been edited out. The ending was more graphic (violent) than needed and the whodunit aspect was also a little unnecessary.
These criticisms aside, this was a remarkable effort by the young director and his credit at the end was very moving. The film was beautifully photographed, and the hand-held digital camera was used to great effect. The tree scenes were nicely done. The actors generally performed quite well. Though I like Gary Sweet, the film would have benefited by using an unknown, in keeping with the authentic look of the film.
Definitely better than average film, and the director has great potential.