Vonavi - Regrow [SHORT FILM]

So I LOVE the debut album from Vonavi Reflection now, and had heard this song a bunch of times over the last few weeks, but had not watched this Short Film that was made for it.


I finally did today, and oh my gawd, I BURST INTO TEARS after seeing the ending.

Although I watched it a 2nd time and noticed the central character, the young man who it seems was abandoned by his parents as a boy and was either an Orphan or a Foster kid perhaps.

he sees the station wagon they had when he was a kid, and goes up to the door, hesitates, but does not decide to knock and reach out to them.

But shortly after, you see him running after the vehicle I think, and he has a SMILE ON HIS FACE.

But initially, when seeing the boy being dropped off by his parents and left there, in the dark and cold weather, and he runs towards their car driving away...it was FUCKING HEART WRENCHING.

THAT POOR LITTLE BOY!!!!!! 💔💔💔💔💔💔😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

It reminds me of Cloud Cult's "You Never Were Alone"..where it just hit me so hard, how sad and unfair it looked.

This Short Film should get some Independent Spirit Award recognition if not Academy and Golden Globe Awards attention.

Will It?..I think I have a better chance getting nominated for a film I have not made, lol. But the whole adage, of Epic Failure on the part of the masses or even the Independent Film and music communities.

But that is par for Society's failure-course, so I just shrug and give it a Facepalm.


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But the people involved in this Short Film are to be highly commended!

Dylan Cheek, I wonder what he's done along with the kid, Matthew Nilsen?

And of course the director Andrew Litten. I may have to look some of them up on imdb.

Starring Dylan Cheek Cast: Matthew Nilsen, Jennifer Nuccitelli, Sean Spencer, Georgie Oliver & Alena Henke Directed by Andrew Litten Cinematographer: Ben Mullen Producer: Dylan Harrington First AC/Loader: Josh Quiros Gaffer & BTS Photographer: David Arteaga Sound Mixer: Kyle Pham Location Manager: Scott Heathcott Editor: Andrew Litten Film Scans: Thom Kuo @ EFilm Color: Mike Howell @ Color Collective Color Producer: Claudia Guevara Sound Mix: Sebastian Oliwa

Tiny Furniture (2010)

So this review, is many weeks old as I think I saw this movie nearly a month ago. But so be it, I'm forced into catchup mode, because, simply put, I don't always have the time or energy to review stuff right away. And if I was actually earning any income (or for that matter, perks/comps of some sort), the motivation to get this done in a more timely fashion would be there.

Blech.

So in 3-4 weeks post seeing this, I can say this was definitely one of the better movies I saw in the past 12 months. Although I doubt I'd consider among my top 5 or whatever (or as good as the 2010 IFP winner Easier With Practice). But it or the screenwriter (and actor/director) Lena Dunham did win a Independent Spirit Award (for best first feature) for it a few weeks ago, and for good reason.

It's a coming-of-age sort of movie, about a girl who comes home from college to live with her single mom and sister. Although those 2 were slightly less significant in the story as just what Aura (Dunham) goes through. She just ended a relationship with a long-term boyfriend, along with trying to figure out her life professionally, socially, romantically.

She meets 2 guys, 1 named Jed (Alex Karpovsky) at a party whose a bit awkward, but ultimately has his charm. The 2 of them end up having pretty much purely a platonic relationship, despite Aura's advances. Maybe some of that was a rebound thing?

The 2nd guy, named Keith (David Call), is this guy she meets at this restaurant place she ends up working at, whose not single nor really interested in her like she is in him.

Now I remember a bit of what I thought about driving home. Aura really comes off like a lot of guys in this movie. A bit desperate for something or someone. Maybe she does poorly in solitude. But it is ultimately given that her mother actually needs her, maybe more than she needs her mother.

At one point, Aura plans to move out of her mom's flat in NYC, and in with her friend from college who remained at their school in Ohio for awhile. It's odd how at the beginning of the movie, Aura talks to her friend on the phone, more or less like they were rather close. Eventually said friend comes to town and Aura sort of blows her off. I was a bit disappointed in that. It was in a circumstance where she was to meet Keith who she can't resist.

I actually think her friend from college's role was a bit downplayed. Maybe the point of her character needing to figure out her next move in her life added to that, but it's a bit sad when you are connected to a friend and then you don't see them for a few weeks, and suddenly their priorities and interest in you seem to have changed.

It is pretty noteworthy how not only is Dunham (and her family?) from Minnesota, but also how her mother and sister are played by her real family members. So, in a way it was almost a documentary in that sense. And if I recall from this interview Dunham gave on NPR, a lot of the story is based on her real life.

I would say this is hardly my favorite movie of this type (see 2010's Fishtank for one, or maybe more so Funny Haha which the more movies I see in this ilk, the more that movie stands out as being one-of- if not the best), but it definitely was good and impressive for a 1st feature.

Lena Dunham I guess is now working with Judd Apatow (it's mentioned in that NPR interview) to develop some kind of black comedy for HBO. I can't deny, I'm rather curious about that, as I think she showed enough with this movie not only as an actor and director, but screenwriter especially, to add interest in her future.

That's something to keep in mind in the coming months/years.

72/100.

IFP's and MarsCON

reposted from twitter:

#IndependentSpiritAwards are also tonight. I'm still unclear why they are being held on a Friday night this year *shrug*

@marscon tonight. But the odds are probably better I win the karaoke contest than am able to do the movie/album sync-thing this year.