Everything about this film hinges on Fairuza Balk. She's an actress I'd encountered previously on occasion (Return to Oz, American History X, Almost Famous), but was never made aware of her deeper talent until now. Sonya, her character, narrates the film with a profound and uncomplicated insight. Sheila Ballantyne's writing provides the film with characters of great reality. Anthony Drazan, a director who's done almost nothing else, displays an excellent understanding of actors and internal conflicts. Speaking of the actors, there are a number of great performances on display here. Vincent D'Onofrio is always welcome, playing here a literary-minded school-teacher. Harvey Keitel is great, although playing firmly within type. Kelly Lynch is wondrous, appearing in flashbacks as Sonya's mother.
"Imaginary Crimes" really moved me. It's one of not too many films that offer events and characters free of mere plot points and chronological events. The passages of the story (starting as a series of loosely connected stories, but slowly progressing to a more coherent tale) build in a believable way, cementing into a depiction that shows all sides of the story. Like water seeping into every open crack, there are no holes or blank spaces left. Please see this film.
"Imaginary Crimes" really moved me. It's one of not too many films that offer events and characters free of mere plot points and chronological events. The passages of the story (starting as a series of loosely connected stories, but slowly progressing to a more coherent tale) build in a believable way, cementing into a depiction that shows all sides of the story. Like water seeping into every open crack, there are no holes or blank spaces left. Please see this film.