User Reviews

People respond to loss in different way. In Robert Cannon's directorial debut he chooses to focus on the anger and blame one would surely feel after losing their wife in childbirth. Where this film takes a chance is the widowed husband, projecting the blame on his newborn child. This film is intentionally dark and successfully delves into the mind of a shattered man looking for anyway he can to keep some part of his wife alive. From caressing a strand of her hair in the shower, re- watching his marriage proposal to finally deciding to take up tennis, the sport she loved but was willing to give up for her family. While no one will confuse the lead actor, Robert Cannon, with a great athlete, you can totally buy someone consumed with grief and on the brink of madness, putting this obsession ahead of everything else and giving it their all. While it could have gone even farther and been more interesting, what works is we can still relate to this unlikable character and root for him to find away past his loss and focus on the one piece of his wife that he still has, his child. With some well placed humor from a string of, "hey I've seen that guy before," character actors, 30-Love keeps you a little off balanced and won't let you get comfortable with where it is going and keeps you there up until the very end.

Coach Jimmy V famously said if you laugh, you cry, and you think -- you've had a really good day. That's what this audacious first-time director makes you do in a film about a tough topic (a man's grief after the sudden loss of his wife in childbirth)-- showing us his spiral into despair and somehow making us laugh along the way--- all the while leaving us to ponder how we would act if we were in the main character's shoes. Incredibly, this movie was made for only $30,000; it shows that its not the budget that makes the film. The best movies happen when the filmmakers have something to say and this cast and crew led by director/star Robert Cannon do that just that in a film I think Jimmy V would have admired. I know I did.

It's hard to make an independent film in Hollywood. It's hard to find a strong compelling script, to get good performances, and to capture the interest of an audience. Well the film 30-Love overcomes all of those "it's hard" statements by delivering a solid first film attempt.

This is the story of a man who on the day he is to experience the profound joy of having a new baby is plunged in the opposite direction into complete despair when his seemingly healthy wife unexpectedly succumbs after giving birth to their daughter.

The distraught widower can barely think let alone begin to function as the father of a newborn. While going through the early stages of his grief, the widower gets the idea to honor his wife on the first anniversary of her death by winning a local tennis tournament. She had loved tennis, but he'd never played it before. Problem!

Problems with insecurity, smothering sadness, grieving in-laws, work, childcare, and daily tennis practice overwhelm and blind our antihero's judgment. Setting the stage for his growing obsession to win.

As the viewer, I was puzzled by his blindness. His awkward interactions and haphazard care of the baby were discomforting to me. It appeared he could not see that his baby was his wife's ultimate sacrifice and gift to him and to the world. I didn't like him.

However later on I realized my being uncomfortable and fearful for the child was the very intention of the writer and the filmmaker. They weren't looking for a "cookie cutter" ending because life isn't comfortable. It's constantly changing. So I recognized their artistic bravado.

The ending wisely leaves the future of this child to be imagined by the viewer. The film succeeds on the strength of the ending in addition to it's great cinematography, editing, and music.

Robert and Ira's screen writing abilities are impeccable. This movie had the right amount of comedy and drama within the 90+ minutes of duration. Remarkable movie with a brilliant ending! Watched it twice and enjoyed it every time...actually planning to watch it a third time. I hope there will be a sequel.

"I've got nothing left... I've got to do this for my wife."

Directed and co-written by Robert Cannon, 30-Love is about a man who becomes obsessed with the idea of winning a tennis tournament in memory of his late wife and struggles to balance his training with his newborn daughter.

The cinematography in 30-Love is excellent, from the aching flashbacks of Kelly to the exhilarating high-speed car scene. Considering how monotonous the back and forth of a tennis ball can be, the tennis scenes are unexpectedly thrilling to watch. Incorporating the stages of the Kubler-Ross system of grieving into the movie is simply genius; the subtle attention to detail all throughout makes 30-Love a treat to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Robert and Johnnie interact on screen, as their chemistry came naturally and seemed very authentic. The two had an interesting dynamic, with the student Johnnie being the all-knowing Jedi master and the professor Robert being the naive young padawan—with a pink racket nonetheless. And of course the comedic relief from David, Robert's closest friend, was a breath of fresh air in what is a relatively somber film. Seeing him in the banana suit alone is enough to make anyone laugh out loud.

Some scenes, however, seemed slightly forced and felt less fluid than the other parts of the movie. Take for example the pivotal scene in the red—which represents anger— locker room, where Robert attempts to befriend the sleazebag and final boss, Davari. Although I understand that the extent to which Davari acts like a scumbag is for the intended effect of building tension, it's a little too much and comes off as unnatural.

Nevertheless, the tension is built and the scene that follows is immensely impactful. Matched with the beat of the drum, Robert's hood bashing of his Mini Cooper makes for an intense scene that perfectly captures his anger. This brings me to my final point: the music selection used in the film is absolutely outstanding.

Even from watching the trailer, which plays "Just a Song About Ping Pong" by Operator Please, I knew the soundtrack was going to be exceptional. Each song is paired flawlessly with each scene, and not only helps convey the message but also adds to the overall scene. In example, "Suck Suck" by X, a song about achieving success, plays during the scene when Robert is practicing at night with his newborn daughter in tow and abruptly stops when a rogue ball hits her. Perhaps the implication is that Robert can't be successful without his daughter— I'm not entirely sure but it sure does sounds good.

30-Love is a gripping and a truly entertaining watch, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a well produced indie film with great cinematography and a superb soundtrack.