"Mumbai Baby" - R-Squared Productions

[rsquaredproductions]

First entry from a new film company startup. Shot using a RED ONE. Download Here
(http://www.dvxfest.com/lossfest/index.php?id=2900495)


Synopsis:


Dan and Rachel move to Mumbai after their children go off to college. Once in Mumbai they are faced with an unexpected surprise and a decision to keep their midlife adventure for themselves or change their lives forever.



http://www.r2films.net/mumbaibabyposter.jpg





Production Status

2.12.09
Final draft of script complete. Casting locations and actors.

2.23.09-2.24.09
Filming completed

3.9.09
Editing Completed

[rsquaredproductions]

Cast
Rachel: Heather Bloom
Dan: Chuck Adams
Dr Gupta: Sylvia Shutlz
Nurse: Nadine Berenger
Anesthesiologist: Satih Bharadvaj

Crew
Director: Rodney Ray
Director of Photography/Editor: Brian Garcia
Assistant Director/Casting Director: Cheryl Wicker
Writer: Heather Goodman
Music: Kevin MacLeod
Sound Recorder: Ken Wactor
Slate/Grip: Matthew Ramsaur
Runner: Mike Leggett
Wardrobe: Jennifer Parsons
Makeup: James McCready
Set Decorator: Cathy Morris
Assistant Set Decorator: Jill Ray
Set Photographer: Brian Summerscales
Production Date: February-March 2009
Production Co: R-Squared Productions
Location: Louisiana

Special thanks to:
Dr. Jack Noble, M.D
Michael Echols

[rsquaredproductions]

Screen Grabs

http://www.r2films.net/images/mb1.jpg

http://www.r2films.net/images/mb3.jpg

http://www.r2films.net/images/mb4.jpg

http://www.r2films.net/images/mb5.jpg

http://www.r2films.net/images/mb6.jpg

[rsquaredproductions]

Behind-the-Scenes
http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts1.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts2.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts3.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts4.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts5.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts8.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts10.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts11.jpg http://www.r2films.net/images/mbbts12.jpg

[stinkpot]

Welcome to the fest!

:beer:

[ramsaur]

Welcome to the fest and good luck!

[rsquaredproductions]

Updated thread. Hope you guys like the movie!

[Richard J. Johnson]

Great film! she is one good looking 58 year old. Man, I have been through this on more than one occasion. recently. But the twist at the end gave me chills. wow. I really felt this one. It looked great and sounded great. No complaints at all.

[vnguyen972]

The movie looks awesome... great performance from the leads... as well as really good direction!

[timbook2]

wow ! good film! good plot! good filming! good acting! heavy stuff too :-) no quentinizing needed and still shocking enough :-) I like it very much !!!!!

[ramsaur]

Awesome job Brian!

[mattspat]

Very well done. The acting progressed as the story went along. Really well done.

[timbook2]

This is one of the best so far, not because no DVX was used :Drogar-Love(DBG):

but because plot&acting and all the rest were good.

[Geoff_R]

I thought this was shot quite well. From a production point of view, the sound and camera work were good. As far as the acting goes, I think it got better as the story went along but there were many moments that felt too scripted, too acted for me. There wasn't enough physicality in their actions. I see this happen a lot in short films where there is a lot of dialogue because the actors are focusing so intently on lines. They forget about being the part and worry about nailing the next line.

From a story point of view, I'm conflicted.. I like the setup with an older married couple realizing that they are going to have a baby. And that scene in the bedroom when they talk about it being something good, something fun, and they turn generally positive about it; that works for me. I didn't find it realistic at all though that she would suddenly have a miscarriage due to that medicine. Maybe that stuff happens in real life... doctors being malicious as such... but even if it does, it doesn't come across realistically here. I'm not married but I've been in relationships that are just as emotionally tight, and I don't find it plausible that he wouldn't know she was taking medication. Also, I don't know anyone who just takes medicine from doctors without inquiring as to it's effects or need. So it was hard for me to care about the characters by the end of this story, but prior to those developments, I did care for them.

All in all, thanks for sharing. Look forward to what you and your team cook up next.

[warau]

I thought it was a good story and enjoyed the twist at the end. Excellent all around production value. I did think some of the lead males acting was stilted at times, but still a very nice film.

[Lawsuit_Boy]

The film, though well shot, seemed to contain a number of contradictory elements and generally ambiguous messages.

If we as viewers are meant to care deeply about the characters, I fear that some many read this as a very pro-life film (which I certainly am not) by proving that the doctors tricked the woman into having an abortion. At her age, it's true that it is a VERY high risk behavior.

I was also concerned about the very, very, very slight bible thumping going on. I don't mean that to sound as if the film was preachy, which it isn't, but this film really felt to be pushing some agendas that I don't particularly care for.

Now, if your goal was to just be ambiguous and allow the story to unfold in two ways, then ok, I can see that. But it just presented itself as a Christian anthropologist (odd mix, don't you think?) and his wife who decide to go ahead and have another child because "Abraham and Sarah did it." Really, don't mind these comments. It's early and I'm just blathering.

I also want to point out that the film seems to denigrate Mumbai and Indian doctors a bit. Not sure what to think of that.

I thought that the female lead was good in many parts, but was just hesitant and awkward throughout the film. A lot of the dialogue came out forced and unnatural to me. But she usually recovered well and made the scene work, so that's fine.

Very well shot though, and the sound was very, very good. A nice piece overall, but I worry about the topics it brings up and the way it brings them up.

Jon

[Chris Messineo]

That was dark.

The film looked and sounded great. The relationship between the couple was wonderful. The scene in bed where they talk about having the child was my favorite - it felt very natural.

I was truly surprised by the twist.

Best of luck in the fest.

[Noel Evans]

Really enjoyed the cinematography in this one.

The story is solid. I just felt there was a lot of dialogue with some repetition.

She said she was going to prepare dinner and then they are on the sofa and in the same/similar light as the previous scene, felt a bit discontinuous to me. I felt the same about the passing of time from bed, to what seemed like a flashback or dream then to current time when its all happened.

On sound, the dialogue was a little hot in a few places. Its a fine line between spot on and a touch hot, and it wasnt distracting. Nitpicking.

[Shawn Philip Nelson]

Whoa, intense! I really enjoyed this.

You definitely got me on the twist, didn't see that coming!

Great direction here, the acting is extremely good. Great job at avoiding the overacting melodrama that could have easily snared this.

Good casting. Dang, that lady is quite attractive!

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Very good looking film, high production values! The story and especially the acting came off like a soap opera for me. Maybe I'm just tired.

Not entirely sure what to make of the ending? I get it but that's quite the statement.

MAH

[alex whitmer]

Well that was tragic.

Nice and believable roller coaster of emotions. Nice shots. Good acting.

Not sure if there was supposed to be a deeper message here. Kinda was, and there wasn't.

Is she really 48? Damn good looking woman. Nice noble face and poise.

Very nice film!

Alex

[Blaine]

You did a good job of shooting this. The audio was pretty hot, had to turn everything down a bit.

The story was good, though I expected a miscarriage. Just not a medical abortion.

My problems were mainly with the acting and perhaps the writing. Some of the dialogue felt stodgy and at times wasn't delivered well. I preferred her acting to his. She felt a bit more natural while he seemed to have a rough go of it at times.

One other point. On the medicine. It was hard to believe that he didn't know she was on medication, considering it was in plain view on the night stand...

Back to story...I felt that the story was a bit dishonest in that the doctor didn't discuss what the medication was for. Perhaps India is FAR different than here, regarding those kinds of things but I have a hard time believing she would give her that kind of medicine without first discussing it.

[MrKilloran]

It's a heavy handed film with great production value but the story and acting falls flat.

[Brian Parker]

Great production work but the end felt a little abrupt. I too found it hard to believe that the husband wouldn't be aware that his wife was on medication. There were some stiff deliveries of dialogue but overall, it worked. Thanks for sharing!

[Tim Joy]

It looked great. Very pro in that regard.

Otherwise, it wasn't doing it for me. I agree with the other comments about dialog and its delivery. I think it was mostly a writing thing. Too much story in too little time which required the dialog to drive the story along, telling us, rather than showing.

One possible fix might have been to cut out the labor scene and ending you have, and make it more about the couple's discovery that this doctor thought she was doing her a favor by prescribing the pills. Then, it leaves us hanging a little and wanting more.

One other nitpick was the sound. If they were in Mumbai, it sure didn't sound like it.

Good effort.

[mattspat]

Hum...I find the acting comments interesting. I personally thought the acting in this one was all in all not too bad at all, I enjoyed both leads' performances.

I found the doctor's lines very forced however.

I liked the film very much. Kudos!

[Norm Sanders]

It's LATE, but I made a commitment to watch, rate, and comment on all the films before nights end. At this point, I've only got time to watch & rate, so I'm simply letting you know I've done so for yours.

If you'd like a specific review of your film, please just PM me to catch my attention, and I'd be glad to come back here & post a review. :)

[Susanne G.]

I liked the whole film. The acting was great. It seemed to me a professional piece of work. The only critic I have to do is, that the end didn't convinced me. It isn't really credible that the indian doctors would give a pregnant woman on purpose that medicine, especially to a person from a western country with a husband in a good and well recognized work position with not that small income (seeing their home). It is known that in India happened many abortions in the last years. Probably also not legal, but that seemed to me too forced.

Susanne