Disencumber

Something is wrong with the audio in this movie. At first, I thought it might be a foreign language film with English dubbed in. However, it's not that. The dialogue doesn't quite match the lip movements, and it doesn't sound natural, either. It sounds like it was recorded after, in different rooms with different acoustic properties. The volume is off, and so are the sound effects. It's a shame because the quality of the video is great. The lighting is great. The acting seems good (except the audio distracts from it). The story might even be good, but I'm 15 minutes in and I can't watch the rest of this movie with the audio being so bad. I don't like saying this because it seems like this is an early effort by someone who might be talented. Maybe the audio got screwed up and they had to re-record some or all of it. Other than movies that have been dubbed, I've never encountered anything like this.

This is the rare occasion that good story and dialogue eclipse Hollywood production values. In an nongimmicky naturalistic manner, these relatable slacker semi-adults come of age withinthe usual capitalist conumdrum of "nothing succeeds like success even if you lose your soul". This dichotomy comes at us from several existential angles, provoking deep questions about meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Individual fortunes are in perpetual flux--such vicissitudes were common among my friends after obtaining that so-called pinnacle of privilege, the four-year degree. Our definitions of true success ranged from working in cutting-edge tech to forsaking all modern convenience and going completely off-grid, with varying degrees of drug abuse sprinkled on top. So this wonderful morality play really took me back to those angsty but halcyon years. The open-ended manner in which this slice-of-life cinemata verite concluded gave me enough pause to mentally thank the screenwriter for restoring my belief in serious literary auteurship.

Proud of this crew and team. Strong characters and an interesting storyline. By up and coming director/writer Adam Ninyo.