open-heart burglary
Member
thank you everybody for your kind words. They do mean a lot. Thanks especially Mr. Brewster for being my voice against naysayers.
"LOVERS" a film by Josh Chiara
- Thread starter open-heart burglary
- Start date
Lawsuit_Boy
Veteran
It really pains me that I got around to viewing this film so late in the festival. I wasn't shocked or surprised to see that it didn't make the finals, but I'm certainly disappointed that it didn't.
This film truly swept me up and seemed to hit virtually no speed-bumps. What a visceral and scintillating experience it was to wander through the lives of these two temporarily and see the complicated, messy tapestry that is their love life. To find that in the end, they're still completely hooked on one another is fascinating. The situation dealt with in the film is not new, but its presentation is what makes it so striking. The line, "nobody gave me a choice, Faye" truly stands out as paramount to the integrity of the story. At that moment, the relationship takes on a new dynamic of moral conflict.
The film dives right in (reminiscent of the characters' behaviors) with a push, propelling the viewer into a low-key room painted with the red-tipped bristles of an aged brush. While the environment in this lounge feels post-modern, the setting itself--a dimly lit den for vagabonds and drifters to hide out in--yields to old traditions. This simply feels right for the film.
The script and the editing itself are well balanced. The film doesn't stick around a scene for too long, nor does it leave the viewer in the middle of a beat. I actually found this, of all things, to be one of the true highlights of the film. However, there was one shot that felt a little capricious to me. The close-up of the girl's lips at 3:29 just felt superfluous to me. In the previous shot, we already see the sensual kiss which exchanges the blood from mouth to mouth. This shot is very good and I feel like the close-up harms the effectiveness of the previous shot. I may be wrong here as some may like the close-up. It's a matter of aesthetics.
I also think that, like others have mentioned before, this film does get itself into trouble with a general audience because timelines do get a little misted from scene to scene. I didn't have much trouble figuring out when things took place, but it did take a couple of seconds for things to really catch up. With such a time limit, there isn't much you can do with this. So I wouldn't add anything to truly distinguish. The cutting and the dialogue guide the watchful viewer.
The cinematography has already been dipped into, but to explore it more thoroughly, I would like to mention just how smooth and natural each setup was. Every setting was as dim and emotionally vacant as one might expect.
The music and sound blended almost seamlessly. I was impressed by how clean the dialogue and action sounds were rendered. The music--a rhythmic eulogy of sorts--highlights the anxiety, fervor, and hopeless melancholy of the film; a very strong compliment.
However, with all of this praise, I don't want to misguide and persuade that this film is perfect. The approach to the subject matter is provocative and risky, which may turn a lot of viewers away. Another angle of examination demonstrates that the acting, though very strong and believable throughout, does find itself hitting a few dry patches where the performers seem to lose their confidence in the role. Single lines seem to stick a little from time to time.
This was a highly engrossing and daring film, and I always enjoy seeing brave filmmakers, as long as the film itself is not simply looking for shock value.
Really great viewing! :beer:
This film truly swept me up and seemed to hit virtually no speed-bumps. What a visceral and scintillating experience it was to wander through the lives of these two temporarily and see the complicated, messy tapestry that is their love life. To find that in the end, they're still completely hooked on one another is fascinating. The situation dealt with in the film is not new, but its presentation is what makes it so striking. The line, "nobody gave me a choice, Faye" truly stands out as paramount to the integrity of the story. At that moment, the relationship takes on a new dynamic of moral conflict.
The film dives right in (reminiscent of the characters' behaviors) with a push, propelling the viewer into a low-key room painted with the red-tipped bristles of an aged brush. While the environment in this lounge feels post-modern, the setting itself--a dimly lit den for vagabonds and drifters to hide out in--yields to old traditions. This simply feels right for the film.
The script and the editing itself are well balanced. The film doesn't stick around a scene for too long, nor does it leave the viewer in the middle of a beat. I actually found this, of all things, to be one of the true highlights of the film. However, there was one shot that felt a little capricious to me. The close-up of the girl's lips at 3:29 just felt superfluous to me. In the previous shot, we already see the sensual kiss which exchanges the blood from mouth to mouth. This shot is very good and I feel like the close-up harms the effectiveness of the previous shot. I may be wrong here as some may like the close-up. It's a matter of aesthetics.
I also think that, like others have mentioned before, this film does get itself into trouble with a general audience because timelines do get a little misted from scene to scene. I didn't have much trouble figuring out when things took place, but it did take a couple of seconds for things to really catch up. With such a time limit, there isn't much you can do with this. So I wouldn't add anything to truly distinguish. The cutting and the dialogue guide the watchful viewer.
The cinematography has already been dipped into, but to explore it more thoroughly, I would like to mention just how smooth and natural each setup was. Every setting was as dim and emotionally vacant as one might expect.
The music and sound blended almost seamlessly. I was impressed by how clean the dialogue and action sounds were rendered. The music--a rhythmic eulogy of sorts--highlights the anxiety, fervor, and hopeless melancholy of the film; a very strong compliment.
However, with all of this praise, I don't want to misguide and persuade that this film is perfect. The approach to the subject matter is provocative and risky, which may turn a lot of viewers away. Another angle of examination demonstrates that the acting, though very strong and believable throughout, does find itself hitting a few dry patches where the performers seem to lose their confidence in the role. Single lines seem to stick a little from time to time.
This was a highly engrossing and daring film, and I always enjoy seeing brave filmmakers, as long as the film itself is not simply looking for shock value.
Really great viewing! :beer:
Last edited:
Lawsuit_Boy
Veteran
Heh, I was hoping someone would mention a film like Salo. I should have known it would be you, Mr. Brewster. :thumbsup:
Really though, if some are irked by seeing a film like this, there is an entire world of cinema that develops some of the most complex and important strains of visual essay that is off-limits.