This movie gets so much right that it almost begs for multiple viewings. Be impressed by the deeply moving performance of Winnick and you might overlook the quiet desperation of Van Winkle or Oostwald's ethereal narration. The casting was superb in this movie and though there is a lot of Malick-esque montages and liberal use of split screen, you never get the feeling that there is a wasted shot. As to the meat of the project, the story itself, I have to say that there were a million opportunities to make it an unsatisfying film, but the writer/director rather impressively sidestepped all of them and managed not to stumble into any of the clichés I was half expecting to see. Frankly, this film was a surprise from every angle and one of the most painful and refreshing love stories I've watched in quite some time. I was very lucky to have a friend send me the link online and only regret not getting to catch it on the big screen during its festival run. I look forward to seeing the next efforts of Horan.
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