Before the Dawn

This movie could have gone wrong fast. In our current environment the subject of a teacher/student relationship could be tricky stuff. But this movie does a nice job with both the story-line and character development. Alana de Freitas does a very nice job walking this tightrope to deliver a suspenseful story that steers clear of predictability. I like it. Jared Scott as the male lead does a nice job and delivers a solid performance. Worth a watch.

I really find nothing more descipable than student teacher relationships and I think an unstable woman like the lead character Lila should clearly not be teaching at all. However young Jared Scott does a stellar job as Jason and despite my strong views on this subject I could not help wondering by the end if Jason might be better off heading for the hills with Lila - he is in a serious pickle that will be hard to escape......

This will be very tough subject matter for those coming to it with preconceived opinions and overly judgmental attitudes. But let's be honest, these things do happen, and probably more often than we'd care to admit. Forbidden love, student-teacher relationships are doomed from the outset, and this film makes that clear in the very beginning. Performances from the two leads are sensitive and realistic, and deserving of the many awards. Give this good indie drama a good look and don't be surprised to see these actors a lot more in the future.

It's a tough subject, especially if roles were reversed, but the acting was very good which allows you to see how these situations could happen. Overall, well done indie.

Stumbled upon this indie gem! I love films that portray conflicted characters in complicated and unique situations. Alana de Freitas delivers an extraordinary performance by lending nuance and sympathy to Lila. I was completely sold on her attraction to Jason and their chemistry. I was impressed to discover that she also wrote and produced the film...she is definitely someone to watch and follow. Very well done film!