Life and Nothing More is a gorgeous look inside the life of a struggling family that is only increasingly harbored due to their miscommunication and lack of understanding of one another. Which may sound like a bleak or heavy synopsis but played out as a beautiful and accurate portrayal of very real struggles experienced by very real people. The film does a fantastic job at capturing the often-difficult relationships that can form between a teenager and a single mother, and the miscommunication/misunderstanding of those relationships. Andrew, the son played by Andrew Bleechington, not only faces misunderstanding with his mother but with almost every other character he encounters in the movie from the therapist and councilor, to his mother's new boyfriend. Regina, the mother portrayed by Regina Williams, has to work every available moment just to keep her family afloat, while also raising and caring for that family all on her own and making sure that her son does not end up like his father, who is serving time in prison. The mother and son are so obviously trying their hardest to do right by themselves, and everyone else around them, but struggle desperately to understand one another. This struggle, along with the overall struggle involving the unfortunate situation that life has placed them in, is the driving force of this wonderfully beautiful slice of life drama. The acting and story were so incredible to watch that often I felt as if I were watching a documentary and not a drama, something that greatly enhanced my experience and caused me to get "sucked in" by the film. It all felt so real, from the delicate and fleeting high point of the film, to the heartbreaking lows. It's one of those rare films where you get attached to the characters but not for any superficial reasons like, "that actress is cute," or "they're so funny," but because it felt as if the characters showed all of themselves to you and you established a connection through their pain. Cinematography was also a huge take away from the film, I can actually remember four specific shots that left me quite literally with my mouth gaping at the screen. As well as two more shots that, along with what was happening in the story at those points, made me announce out loud, "wow this is so good." However, I'm so sure that those shots will have a similar effect on you when you watch it, that I'm declining to provide any description of them (i know my words would not do them justice). I loved this movie, and i unfortunately was not able to talk about every detail that made me love it, but hopefully the ones i did highlight were enough to make you want to watch it too.