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Jean-Luc_Julien
Reviews
Without You (2021)
A deceivingly simple, almost claustrophobic, touching 2-hander with the ghost of a third loved one lurking deep within
Love has many shapes and forms and each of us deals with love and the loss of love in their own way. Sometimes it helps to be alone and sometimes it helps to feel the love of another during the loss of someone so dear. Writer/director, Parker Foster, introduces the character of Kyler (beautifully played by David Feliciano) with a tight close-up of Kyler opening up his heart and soul to what one might imagine is some kind of self-help group. In the background, out of focus (both literally and figuratively), is a blond woman ostensibly hanging on to each of his words as they struggle to leave his lips. We soon learn that this young woman is Kyler's girlfriend Sophia (deeply and compassionately played by Gianna Reisen). And there is a third character in the film, another woman, whose loss permeates the film and threatens to end the couple's relationship. The title itself is misleading because it sounds like it might just be another generic romantic comedy, but the love and loss in this film is initially not at all of the romantic kind and then later transcends romance to become something altogether deeper. The director and two actors are apparently only at the beginning of their careers, but if this film is any indication, there's much more transformative art and expression to be expected in the future.
Where is Lucy? (2021)
Solid Direction and a Young Star in the Making
A clichéd Hollywood-like short film shot in what appears to be Disneyland in the UAE, the film still manages to pull off an emotional depth thanks in no small part to its young lead Eva Petersson. The first wave of goose bumps came when the actress looked directly into the camera and realized she was responsible, which had a weight to it as if to say we are all responsible for our actions, though it wasn't too heavy-handed to take us out of the story. The decent budget is put to good use with multiple large-scale locations while keeping the story intimate. It's obviously not the first short film director Salma Azzam has helmed and she's assembled an impressive crew in what I imagine is her most ambitious project. Fluid cinematography by Saad Aldin Alkharouf and an appropriately jagged edit by Youssef Hannoun is nicely underscored by composer Adam Benobeid's simple yet poignant score. A few of the minor characters were sometimes a little weak and difficult to understand, but keeping focus on the titular character made these slight flaws acceptable. It will be interesting to see what Ms. Azzam presents as her debut feature film because she seems more than ready for the next step.
Remember to Breathe in the Dark (2020)
A Riveting One-man Show
I never thought it would be fascinating to watch a man try to speak the words of a speech in a single apartment but Myles Grier manages to pull it off. He not only nails the acting but was also responsible for writing, producing, directing and editing the film as well. Considering this film is his directing debut, the world has much more to look forward to from Myles.
Maude (2019)
A Beautifully Haunting Film for a Comedy
My first review of the 2022 film festival season and I must say I fear that it will all go down from here. As a director, it is my job to see problems, weaknesses and failures in my own work, and as a festival judge, I look for the same in the films I view. But I'm afraid that despite my critical eye, I couldn't find a damn thing wrong with the film. Okay, okay, one thing bugged me: the sound design in the first dream sequence of Maude sipping the cocktail - it sounded like she was sipping the last of the cocktail even though it was half-full (or half-empty, depending on your disposition). But besides that, it was an endearingly lovely film with a reverberating sense of deep longing and the eternal fear of regret, underscored beautifully by a haunting cello. The casting and acting was superb. Kathryn Pogson's Maude was the blazing sun that all the other characters orbited around by the sheer power and strength of her gravitational pull. And the other characters held their own, all of them shining brightly and only adding to the depth of Maude's happiness or sorrow reflected in themselves. Toby Frow's direction was self-assured, guided by an excellent script from Emily Marcuson. The beautiful photography and steady sound blended harmoniously, and the edit was crisp, as if not a frame was out of place, extended too long or cut to short. Thank you for the pleasure of viewing this film.