I saw this film at the East Lansing Film Festival.
Director Jonathan Blistein has made a wonderful and entertaining film starring Justin Rice as a hopeful screenwriter suffering from writer's block in the Big Apple. The very opinionated Rice has to look after a friend's dog which only adds to the insanity of his hectic work. This film is about relationships, falling in and out of love, and trying to make everything work out, no matter what the consequences.
The cast was great, I really enjoyed Justin Rice, he seemed so relaxed and really became the character. There were also a number of great supporting performances and a lot of great bit parts (including a very amusing cameo). And the dog is so hilarious, it nearly steals the show in every scene it's in.
The whole New York setting was great, it was basically a character of its own. All of the different locations and settings, it shows parts of the city that aren't normally shown in films. There were also some creative camera tricks and editing techniques.
The entire play sequence is extremely entertaining, it really shows how much effort needs to be put into making a film, especially an independent one. Trying to be creative and coming up with new things, having clever dialogue that doesn't come off as being too clever, working with numerous actors and extras, and all of the changes in lighting and locations. Everything is pulled off in these scenes, this is a great film for aspiring filmmakers to watch and take notes on.
The director was at the screening of the film and told some very amusing stories about the making of it. You could tell he put everything he had into making this film. And the work paid off. Blistein made a very impressive feature film debut. Let Them Chirp Awhile is funny, entertaining, and it has a lot of great moments that stick with the viewer long after seeing the film. I'm really looking forward to seeing where he goes from here.
