Hot Picks
|
|
|
Message in a Bottle
USA 2017
produced by Darren Barcomb, Amelia Favata, Terry Kimmel, Yvette L. Leli-Aragon, Keith Lukowski, Mark Parker, Rhonda Parker for Beaver Alley Studios
directed by Rhonda Parker
starring Matthew Owen Kozak, Emma Morrison, Jack Champion, Paul Ryan, Emmy Wolfe, Bob Bozek, Linda Mesi, Nico Clark, Tate Button, Brenda Rickert, Da Shaun Baldwin, Shawn M. Essler, Bria Melrose, Doug Lake, Aryn Fitzgerald, Tyler Aser, James Louth, Brandon Devine, Colton Clause, Alex Schroeck, Timothy Michael, Corina Bliss, Tatiana Lanier, Antoine Lanier jr, Sophia Zambito, Jonathan Roustum, Hanna Roustum, Olivia Roustum, Tracy Bertin, Lily Zambito, Oscar Pleakis, Amelia Favata, Nick Goodwin, Antoine Lanier, Susan Aser, John Kreuzer, Kim Fitzgerald, Shawn Patrick Greene, Gerilyn Marie, Mary K. Pleakis, Leanne Smyers-Downey, Makenzy Glover, William Anthony, Roopa Fenton, Rj Clark, Mandi Johnson-Fisher, Courtney Turner, Jimmy Loucks, Leora Owens, Madeline Elizabeth Berl, Yvette L. Leli-Aragon, Rhonda Parker, Christina Foster, Mark Parker, Michael O'Hear, Michael Hawerbier, Samantha Jindra, Keith Lukowski, Lucian Recoltea, Kenneth Leman, Jay Desiderio, Jordan Rosas, Sheri Fairchild, Frank Nicosia, Matt Lukowski, Dante C. Clark, Capri Clark, McKenna Light
written by Rhonda Parker
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
|
Best friends Johnny (Matthew Owen Kozak), Emily (Emma Morrison) and
Timmy (Jack Champion), all thirteen-ish and from different backgrounds,
find a couple of bottles floating down the river that suggest they've been
thrown in by some child up river who's in some kind of danger. Not
trusting the police to do anything in this story, the three decide to hike
up river themselves, following a simplified map that one of the bottles
was carrying, as some sort of adventure. And on their way, they learn a
lot about themselves and about one another, and Johnny and Emily start to
notice they have feelings for one another that go beyond mere friendship.
However, once they've reached their destination, things don't go as
planned, and the whole trip ends in tragedy ... 4 years later, Johnny
(now played by Paul Ryan) and Emily (now played by Emmy Wolfe) have become
estranged, even if they can't get one another out of their minds. Their
lives have also taken different paths, Emily lives in a picture perfect
world, even if she can't stand its shallowness, while Johnny had been
thrown out of high school and eventually taken to a life of crime, just to
support his mother who's presently in hospital on life support. Johnny and
Emily's paths will cross again though, even if that might only lead to
more drama ... Sure, the premise of this film might sound quite
a bit like Stand by Me and other movies of its ilk, but the movie
really transcends the too well-known coming-of-age formula by not making
all the events sugar-sweet, by adding real tragedy to the mix and refusing
to give the audience feel-good moments and a happy ending, and by
following up on how the story continues four years later - and it's not
how you'd expect it would. Now add to that a very subtle directorial
effort and relatable characters played by a compact ensemble, and you've
got yourself a pretty good movie.
|
|
|
review © by Mike Haberfelner
|
Feeling lucky? Want to search any of my partnershops yourself for more, better results? (commissions earned) |
The links below will take you just there!!!
|
|
|
Thanks for watching !!!
|
|
|
Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
|