i don't recommend films! I just tell you what i think! Come along and tell me what you think about my special features and film reviews
i don't recommend films! I just tell you what i think! Come along and tell me what you think about my special features and film reviews
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Dawn: Year Seven 2019 An Independent Showcase Short Film
starring Chloe Liles, Jeremy Liles and Connie Copeland
written, directed and edited by Jay Reel
This is a short sequel to a 2003 film entitled "DAWN" by filmmaker Jay Reel
This nicely photographed little film features arid and isolated locations which effectively invoke the loneliness of the father/daughter travel companions who. seeking some solitude from what we become immediately aware of as the hardships of their sojourn away from the population at large. The dialog that the obviously stressed and exhausted father and 7 year old daughter exchange perfectly establishes the close bond the two share. Even as she sleeps and he struggles to remain awake , director Reel provides a true sense of urgency to their situation. After nearly crashing the car when his eyes close just once too often, the aroused Dawn chastises her father in a nicely written exchange that feels honest and natural. It also reveals a clear clue as to how much each is actually taking care of the other. We can feel real affection between the actors that triggers our empathy even as we slowly begin to realize exactly what the problem is that has forced them to flee the confines of city life and seek out solitude and respite. It isn't pretty but it lays at the heart of the film.
Director Reel has given the film a very professional sheen and he utilizes the stark colors of the baron landscape and the deteriorating façade of the dying town the two finally arrive at as a metaphor for what is to come. This is a horror film in slow and steady mode, concentrating more on character than on grizzly gore. Dawn, turns out, has some hybrid form of vampirism and has, thus far, lived off the blood her father provides. But she is growing up and he can't spare the amount of blood necessary for her to survive without jeopardizing his own health. For Dawn's part, she is reaching a time in her life where her instinctual need to hunt is growing.
The film has a nice feel to it despite its subject matter. It is impressive visually and it has some tiny bits of wisdom in the dialog that ring true. The acting is a bit inconsistent at times. The key players need to become more disciplined in their craft in order to sustain the believability in their characterizations. They do have some very effective moments, especially in the exchanges between Dawn and her father as well as a tenderly played scene between Dawn and an elderly sick woman she encounters in the nearly deserted town. But even those scenes suffer from an inconsistent tempo. The film would have benefited from some more judicious editing as some scenes dawdle a bit too long which diminishes their initial quality.
Still, there is much to admire about this original take on an old theme. The director is definitely going for something different than the tired old formula and he mainly succeeds with that goal. I, for one, would be interested in seeing what this film leads up to.
I have provided this film with a rating of 81%
Watch it now as part of my Special Features/Video section!
Watch the film here! Read my review on The Old Codger's Film Review blog now!
The final Daniel Craig appearance as James Bond. The best since Connery.
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Positive critical buzz for Kristen Stewart's heart breaking performance precedes the theatrical debut of this true expose chronicling the C.I.A.'s relentless pursuit of movie star Jean Seberg's activism.
Interesting concept for sure.
I am completely intrigued by this trailer. The film has received solid positive buzz off the festival circuit and Julia Garner is so spectacular on the Netflix series, The Ozarks!
Check my blog for my review of this adrenaline charged short film!
I continue to be amazed by the ingenuity that goes into many of these short independently made films that beg the question as to what are these filmmakers capable of if they had the financial resources at their fingertips. Take this film from 2015 by Bruce Branit. It's a clever cinema verite style take on the alien invasion theme.
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