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Seagulls (2014)
Well shot, subtle and intimate portrayal of young boys and the struggle to fit in.
I had the pleasure of seeing this at the Hamptons International Film festival and really enjoyed it. The cinematography was strong. The camera and editing felt appropriately active and quick when on the carnival grounds and then wide, observational, and lonely when in the gorgeously shot bleak highlands. The film felt true to the quiet angst of teenage boys and awkwardness of forging friendships. Viewers who enjoyed "Hide Your Smiling Faces" will appreciate this film. Additionally, the story would make for an interesting feature if director Martin Smith chooses to go that route and develop the main character's back story and relationship with his mother further.
Runoff (2014)
Powerful performances, beautiful cinematography, strong narrative of the desperate lengths we'll go to when there are no good choices.
This was a wonderful film. The lead actor, Joanne Kelly, "Betty," was incredible. I'd only seen her before on the SyFy channel show "Warehouse 13," but this was a very pleasant departure her character on Warehouse. Kelly plays a wife, a mother, a neighbor and friend, and ultimately a person struggling to get by when left with no good choices. As her family business is crumbling and her home goes into foreclosure, she is offered an under-the-table job that could provide seedy but desperately needed income. As the story continues we watch Betty struggle with her decision whether or not to take the job, how to take the job, and then how to actually do the job without getting caught.
We, the viewer, struggle with Kelly's character as it makes us realize we'd likely do the same seedy, illegal job ourselves when placed between a rock and a hard place. But Betty's decision will come with a price and the story forces the viewer successfully to reflect on the bigger picture. How widely do our decisions affect others? We realize things are not black and white. Even the people doing the "bad things" in this film, are doing them just to get by. Would we do any differently ourselves? Right and wrong aren't as easy to differentiate as we might have thought.