I just finished watching this movie and I have to say I was very impressed. I can't believe the grading here is so low (for how well this film was made). If you liked Eraserhead, you'll probably like this. The camera work is some of the best I've ever seen. The sound as someone else mentioned(as a hindrance?)I think was amazing, and I was thinking that as I was watching, before reading these reviews. I have been a sound engineer in studio for 20 years so I think my opinion would count for something. That's the point. The sounds are supposed to be up front like that, it adds to the claustrophobic feel of the movie and accents the slightest action taking place in frame which I think is brilliant.
I really enjoyed the calm and surreal pacing of the film as well (contrary to the underlying tension that is always brewing in the characters). There was a steady floating (extremely skilled) quality to the hand held shots that made the cinematography absolutely stunning. Where most movies will shake the camera around to try to make the scene feel "real", this one shows us how it should be done by keeping it smooth just as you would see through your own eyes. Amazing job! I really did not find a problem with the plot or any of the characters. The child actor wasn't the best, but he certainly wasn't the worst. The main character "Jack" was absolutely brilliant. I actually came on here to find more movies with this actor in it, and to find more movies made by this director. The narrative is (as was the film) obviously somewhat influenced by Lynch, but this film is a bit more accessible. And I'm an avid David Lynch fan. There is a definitive resolution at the end. And I also liked the the end credit given to the location of filming... that's something I have never seen before and it deserves respect. The loss of control that someone else mentioned here that the main character experienced toward the end was IMO amazing. It was more drawn out and realistic that the standard "wiping a bunch of stuff off of a desk" tantrums that we see in most films. This added even more to the realistic quality of the film and made me like the main character even more. He is repressed throughout the movie and you can tell because he plays it so well. So when he finally let's go, it's bound to last longer than one swift swoop of the arm across a table of decent china.
Like a Lynch film, every shot in this movie looks like a beautifully crafted painting, and in my opinion, carried none of the pretension that some indie films are famous for. This film maker has the heart and the skill to match. Great story, great crew, great mood, great experience. When I came here and saw that there were only 2(not so glowing)reviews, I had to create an account to write this. I feel this film deserves that amount of respect. Absolutely fantastic job! I hope to see more of your work in the future! :)
