Why We Breathe

I don't usually take the time to write reviews, but wow this movie is a waste of 90 minutes. It may be the terrible writing that makes the acting seem so bad, but the characters were pretty flat and uninteresting. Actually I think I've seen better acting in a high school play.

I enjoyed this movie very much. The story was real and full of emotion - moments of humor, suspense, sadness and hope. The writing was excellent and the acting well done.

This story of a young single mother (Carrie) trying to start a new life in small town was poignant and moving at times. Derrick Dee Drake's performance was especially remarkable as Uncle Earl. Life is difficult as is overcoming your past mistakes. There are no easy answers. The story addresses this in a loving way. The outstanding camerawork and just-right sound track were as good as any I've experienced in an indy film. Congratulations to Erik Parks and Charity Spencer for bringing this film to life.

The acting was ok. Story was slow. Might have earned an average rating but the technical flaws stand out.

Lighting / grading looks like it was done by 5 different people. At one point the white balance was way off. Shots in the same scene seamed like they weren't even Color matched. Really basic stuff that should not be in a feature film.

I think the editor can take some of the blame as some issues can easily be fixed in post. For example, dialog from another take didn't match the mouth movement of the actor talking. This could have been fixed by simply cropping in tighter.

Audio had issues with noise floor or room noise cutting out between angles in dialog. Again basic stuff recording room tone or manufacturing background sound.

Overall it is slow but watchable. Above average for general Christian movies these days.

The cast in this film was on their A game. The writing was also very fresh. A lot of movies like this can feel formulaic but this one did a good job of keeping you guessing a little bit. Great family film!