Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
Crotchety Old Critic
Truly in the vein of David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky. I am going to be honest, this movie made me a little ill to watch straight through considering all the dark nature of the film. So brace thyself - not for the faint of heart. The story/plot was very unique and had a lot of depth to it. There were some scenes that were quite eerie and graphically disturbing (e.g. drug use; child abuse). I personally felt it wasn't for shock value or just for the sake of doing it 'in the name of art.' Each incident related to another, revealing characters' background; it progressed the story along, but such scenes can be very nauseating and despicable! The movie is meant to be cryptic and mysterious, thusly the verbal interaction between characters were purposely going to be slightly vague. However, I believe that the dialogue could have been better, or delivered better.I also think that Danielle Agnello, Joe Hall, and Billy Drago all have a brain for telling and relating stories in a mysterious, surreal manner. I am not familiar with their work, this is my first time seeing anything they ever worked on, and their writing/directing was impressive. So in conclusion, I believe this movie is well worth the watch provided you are not so easily disturbed or that it might set off your own psychosis.
casla22
Kristanna Loken, producer and star of this film, said: This is not a happy film. And it's true. Chase, drag the trauma of a tragedy that destroyed his family. Ellie, was a victim of abuse of a violent mother and is a drug user; Zephyr, was victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather, so one day, with 12 years of age, decided to leave her house with her little sister. What happens when the trauma is not treated properly, resolved or channeled? They grow, make us make bad decisions. The unresolved traumas result in abuse, loss and despair. Chase meets Ellie, who later befriends Zephyr. Each, somehow, ends up being the fulcrum of another, even at times, even confusing. They are 3 young people who attempt to mitigate the pain, believing that all is well. But the past is there, always comes back because they do not find a way to delete it or overcome it. Is good to understand that in this world, many people are not happy. Some people spend a lifetime suffering. Sometimes the recipe for happiness just does not work, because there are things of the human condition rooted too deep. The movie is not filmed in chronological order. Some scenes begin with the end. There are surreal moments, how the Red Room scene, one of the best scenes I've seen in recent times. Kristanna Loken is remarkable. This time no swords or axes. This time it's a visceral Kristanna. Expressive and intimate. She just glows, especially in the Red Room scene. We see a different Kristanna, proving that it has many more conditions than many suppose. In this film shows that, as an actress, she's not afraid and can cope easily with intense scenes. It's one of those actresses undervalued, which deserves better opportunities. This film shows what happens when you do not obtain the forgiveness of a loved one, when parents are absent. When guilt and low self-esteem are too big. When the world does not help. Today we are saturated with overproduced movies with too many special effects. So this kind of films are lost and have no distribution. They represent the efforts of young people wanting to tell stories and that makes them more valuable than a box-office film that says nothing. If you like predictable stories repeated, with many clichés, but full of terrific special effects, go see Avatar. If you like poorly acted movies, but popular, full of cute guys, go see the Twilight saga. If, like me, you like independent film, made with effort, that dares to tell painful stories, this is a film that deserves a chance. I give this film my highest rating, for 3 simple reasons. Not intended to be more than it is. It is an independent effort well directed and well acted. Definitely, I faced with my own problems and I began to think about the decisions I made and the decisions which I have yet to take to avoid falling deeper.
