The Misadventures of Mistress Maneater

I'm a big fan of Shannon Brown and I've seen a lot of this work. When he shared this on facebook I was excited to check it out. It wasn't at all what I anticipated as I assumed Shannon was the star of the movie as I've grown accustomed to seeing him as the lead in most things he's cast in. It's very clear from the jump that the star of this movie is Lorissa Julianas. And when I say star, she explemplifies this in every way possible. I've seen her before in a few of the films featuring Shannon, but not like this. She leaves no doubt that she is more than capable of carrying a movie. She is strong, vulnerable and funny and she plays the overqualified genius to perfection. The male lead O'Sullivan is strong as well, a very likeable character that you want to pull for that is worthy of leading man status and I have no doubt we'll be seeing more of him. Then Brown's character which is more of strong supporting role but a role I've never seen him play before as he plays the heroin's gay best friend. This would be an easy role to play campy, over the top and cheap but there is nothing cliche' about his portrayal. Brown showcases his range once again as his choices are very refined, nuanced and still hysterical which meshes wonderfully with the high brow comedy, high society theme of the overall story. I assume the gay community will appreciate that. But as much as I am a fan, Julianas clearly steals the show and I have no doubt we'll see her carrying a movie again in the future. I commend her and her husband, first time director Cj Julianas, for creating a perfect piece to showcase Lorissa's immense talent while still delivering high quality indie fare. There is very little to criticize with this movie. A couple of the performances didn't quite hit home and the pacing could use a little boost in some areas but these are minor issues that barely take away from the overall viewing experience. This will certainly be one of those movies I watch again.