I am definitely drawn to indie romances in which simplicity and complexity run side-by-side. And I love Southern California beach communities - perhaps even more than indie romances, if you can believe that. So I must've been an easy mark for the homespun Venice Beach love story that is "Will & Liz."
Listen, you: If you're out there name-checking "indie" only because it makes you sound savvy and erudite and above your own mindless self-relegation to mass-market blockbusters and stadium acts, then you're not alone. But if that's the case and the true love isn't actually there for you, then you may not appreciate the terrific heart and story plotting - executed on a shrewdly allocated budget - that rests deep within the beating heart of this indie love tale. There is a calming energy and a gentle embrace of the artistic muse (and indeed of love itself) happening in this film; something that all the gaffer tape in the world doesn't always buy on a Hollywood set. The doe-eyed Christine Tucker in the lead female role - you guessed it, "Liz" - was more than a tad special and surely pulled out of the ether (unbeknownst to me, Tucker is probably world famous by now). She meets Will, played by Nathan Wilson, who like Liz hasn't found his firm footing on life's true paths yet.
As simple as love can be in its essence, we all know it's complicated. Those counterpoints push and pull against each other with terrific results in Will & Liz. Embrace it and then love it for what it is: A very wonderfully-conceived, well-executed indie romance film that speaks our truths about love.
