Will & Liz

I am definitely drawn to indie romances in which simplicity and complexity run side-by-side. And I love Southern California beach communities - perhaps even more than indie romances, if you can believe that. So I must've been an easy mark for the homespun Venice Beach love story that is "Will & Liz."

Listen, you: If you're out there name-checking "indie" only because it makes you sound savvy and erudite and above your own mindless self-relegation to mass-market blockbusters and stadium acts, then you're not alone. But if that's the case and the true love isn't actually there for you, then you may not appreciate the terrific heart and story plotting - executed on a shrewdly allocated budget - that rests deep within the beating heart of this indie love tale. There is a calming energy and a gentle embrace of the artistic muse (and indeed of love itself) happening in this film; something that all the gaffer tape in the world doesn't always buy on a Hollywood set. The doe-eyed Christine Tucker in the lead female role - you guessed it, "Liz" - was more than a tad special and surely pulled out of the ether (unbeknownst to me, Tucker is probably world famous by now). She meets Will, played by Nathan Wilson, who like Liz hasn't found his firm footing on life's true paths yet.

As simple as love can be in its essence, we all know it's complicated. Those counterpoints push and pull against each other with terrific results in Will & Liz. Embrace it and then love it for what it is: A very wonderfully-conceived, well-executed indie romance film that speaks our truths about love.

Classic whirlwind romance story, reminiscent of Before Sunset / Before Sunrise, and also Lost in Translation. Will & Liz accurately captures the way a city can come to life when you have a significant other to share it with. Will & Liz are awkward at first, but then grow on each other and on the audience as a sweet and often painful romance blossoms, falters, rebounds, etc. This is the timelessness of love, beautifully portrayed.

The film uses simplicity to it's advantage and really lets the audience live In the relationship of its two main characters without much distraction or complication. The two main actors had a natural chemistry and it shined through in their interactions together. What the film may lack in budget it makes up for in honesty and heart.

An unconventional and thoroughly enjoyable movie. This is a love story for people who don't want to sit through another predictable rom-com. It's a film where the characters feel lived in and real, and yet have a genuine charm to them. I really wanted the characters to be together. Great acting, really well shot. I truly loved this film!

Indie through and through, Will & Liz presents two colorful, wishful and artistic characters still in the midst of searching for what they want out of life. The film presents their story via a number of casual strolls through Venice, offering up some nice backdrops for their conversations about life, love and the future. Given there is little conflict to be found, the film itself tends to feel like one of the casual strolls it's titular characters embark on: warm, bright and carefree, with a few minor bumps along the way. Overall, it calls to mind Before Sunrise, albeit on a micro-budget, and proves a stroll worth taking!