I can't even begin to explain my love for this movie. I'm not even sure how to articulate it. Honestly, I didn't want to like this movie - before seeing it, I saw my hometown/homestate fully attached to it, I saw people my age doing what most people only dream of. I wanted to fault them, and I wanted to leave the theater with a list of ways the movie could have been better.
However, I couldn't do that. I couldn't come up with one thing I would change, one thing I would like better. This movie is incredibly beautiful, realistic, hard-hitting, and almost tangible. After the movie, you feel like you've met these people, these characters, before. You feel like you've known them for years.
The acting is amazing - the chemistry, the body language, the facial expressions, the quick wit (when appropriate), the believable emotional displays. I cannot come up with one negative thing. The picture quality is superb - the angles, the clarity, the focus (or lack), the panning - it's all completely complimentary; showing all the good things about the actors/characters, the locations, and the moods.
I was incredibly happy and honoured to attend the premier at the Florida Film Festival - I was even more stoked to attend the Q&A as press/photographer. During the Q&A, I found myself in momentary lapses, forgetting to take pictures - I was captivated by the cast/crew, and the stories/facts behind the movie and the processes.
Without spoiling the movie, all I can say is that, in one way or another, we can all relate to at least one of the characters. We've all experienced loss, family/siblings, and the tribulations of the latter. You can't help but feel by the end of the movie - just feel something; whether empathy for the characters, nostalgia for your past, or determination to do something about your current familial situation. This movie takes you through all the emotions, and yet, at the end; you're not upset that it took the scenic route to get you there.
This is a great movie (in my list of "movies to see before you die", now), and I truly look forward to more from the cast and crew.
