The cast is rather bland. I know it's supposed to be a dark, brooding film, and it is indeed that. But the lack of talent on the actor's part is very noticable. The story is good though, despite some serious writing flaws and dialogue that's just flat most of the time. Plus it's just way too long. This could've been condensed easily into a 60 minute movie. Despite all this though, I kept wanting to know what was going to happen. I'll never watch this again, but I did enjoy it even though it was riddled with glaring faults. That's rare for me. The music was appropriate and atmospheric and not a distraction. The visuals, especially nature, were stunning.
Plot summary
Tommy and his older brother Eric live in the midst of vast remote forests. The death of their friend pushes them close to the edge. Eric doesn’t know how to channel his energy. All at once, nature’s vastness feels stifling.
Uploaded by: OTTO
October 29, 2014 at 08:37 AM
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Flawed Yet Effective
Moody and atmospheric.
It's hard to know how to review this film other than to say I enjoyed it. It is beautifully shot, well acted, atmospheric and, for everyone who was once a boy growing up, painfully nostalgic. There is not really a lot of plot to speak of and at the end of the movie I was left wondering what it was all about. I guess it's just about boys being boys becoming men and, along the way, dealing with life, its tragedies, disappointments, puzzles, mysteries and the friends and family that are on the journey with you. That doesn't sound like anything too startling, but it still makes for a captivating movie here.
It has shades of "Stand by me" about it...
Nathan Vernon ("Eric") and Ryan Jones ("Tommy") offer really engaging performances in this story of two brothers who have to come to terms with the death of one of their friends. It's largely told by way of the pair wandering about in the woods, swimming, and generally hanging out together asking and avoiding questions. Though older by a few years, "Eric" is not much better equipped than his younger sibling to handle the aftermath of this event and much of the narrative - the dialogue is sometimes quite poignant, but usually sparing - is more about the visuals than anything else. To be honest, I felt slightly voyeuristic - imposing myself on their grief, and their intimacy - I was neither invited nor welcome, and that made this pretty awkward at times for me to watch. The pace (or lack of it) also grates after a while. Certainly the film itself is honest to their scenario - but that doesn't necessarily make for a good piece of cinema. It has a charm about it, and I'd recommend you watch - but to be fair, not a great deal actually happens.