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Rose White
USA 2012
produced by Dan Kuhlman, Deneen Melody, Anthony G. Sumner for Breakwall Pictures, Tinycore Pictures
directed by Dan Kuhlman, Brian Kilborn
starring Erin Breen, Deneen Melody, Dan Kuhlman, Tom Lodewyck, Anthony Fleming, Celeste Williams, Jay DelaRosa, Sheri Savage, Stephanie Andrews, Marla Seidell, David Goodloe, Thurston Hill, Valerie Meachum, Sean Bolber, Ann Marie Boska, Brooke Lodewyck, Michael Partipilo, Joe Rivera, Chris Schwartz
story by Deneen Melody, based on Snow White, Rose Red by the Brothers Grimm, screenplay by Dan Kuhlman, music by Matt Novack
featurette Snow White and Rose Red
review by Mike Haberfelner
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A mother (Valerie Meachum) has two children, red-lipped Rosalyn (Erin
Breen) and fair haired Lilly (Deneen Melody), the former too much of a
cynic for her own good, the latter a hopeless dreamer - and yet they have
promised each other to always stay together ... When momma dies, Lilly
drifts off into a fairytale world full of enchanted forests and talking
animals, and her condition gets so out of hand the police has to intervene
repeatedly, and she is threatened with being sent to a home. Rosalyn
meanwhile has taken it upon herself to take care of the both of them - and
has become a prostitute. Still the money she makes hardly covers the bills
... Then one day, Bear (Dan Kuhlman), a small-fry gangster on the run,
knocks on their door. Rosalyn refuses to let him in, but behind her back,
Lilly, who talks Bear for a talking animal, gives him abode for the night.
As a token of appreciation, Bear offers Rosalyn a deal that sounds like
easy money, but ...
A hauntingly beautiful little (as in 30
minutes) film, Rose White achieves the almost impossible and
successfully blends the gritty realism of a crime drama with the darkly
romantic atmosphere of a fairy tale to great effect (and on a budget,
too). That's thanks to a directorial effort that keeps things subtle for
the most part but doesn't shy away from pure kitsch if needed, and that
favours atmosphere over spectacle, a wonderfully old-fashioned musical
score, and of course an uniformly great cast. Recommended! By
the way, part of Hillbilly
Horror Show - Episode 2.
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