The Mirror

I really enjoyed Stephen Eckelberry's wickedly lighthearted caper movie, The Mirror. Its cheeky veneer winks its message to you, that things are rarely what they seem to be on the surface. In a large context this is a movie about a child on the brink of adulthood learning to see her parents as the flawed human beings they really are – and from that awareness, understanding herself more clearly and growing from the experience. Eckelberry develops the metaphor of the "mirror" as a device that reflects truth (or, as the ancients feared, the window to the soul) really creatively. The set design is amazing, and the performances by the entire cast are charming and fun. A great time. See it!

I saw "The Mirror" at the Hollywood Film Festival and I was just one of many who thoroughly enjoyed it. Like all good comedy, it was done seriously to give it the reality to make it really funny and the audience was roaring with laughter. Just when you thought you knew where it was going, you discovered you didn't, and the audience's delight at the continual surprises was palpable.

The acting was superb and the use of music to underscore the change from 30's to now was very effective. The plot unfolded in an fascinating way that kept us involved and participating, rather than being spoon fed.

Kelly LeBrock is voluptuously hilarious in a part that could have been played way over the top, but instead was acted with taste and reality that pointed up the wit in the script. The story was told through the eyes of Erin Cahill who played both the narrator and main character beautifully. Thaao Penghlis played the father and was completely believable in the most unbelievable moments, deepening the dark irony of the entire piece. The directing was superb.

"The Mirror" has everything my favorite movies need to have: suspense, wit, intelligence, interesting characters, excellent acting and directing and the most important point of all, which frequently missing…story. All the car chases and bombings in the world can't make up for the absence of a good story. "The Mirror" has one. I loved it.

I saw this film at the Independent Film Festival in Los Angeles and was blown away. It is funny, clever, suspenseful and has a twist ending you wont believe.

The cast is fantastic, from the more seasoned Kelly LeBrock, who we just never see enough of in movies anymore, to the new face of Erin Cahill, who is not only strikingly beautiful but amazingly talented too.

The writing is original and clever and the directing is top notch. The director was able to capture classic Hitchcock, yet make it feel contemporary for 2008.

For an indie film, it squeezes out more bang for your buck than most studio movies.

The film within and film within a film. Is very cleverly done with video camera diary and nostalgic 16mm.

The film is part thriller, part comedy, part murder mystery all set in a contemporary dysfunctional family.

Go see it if you get the chance. You will not be disappointed!