Ascension

I watch a lot of low (next to non-existent) budget independent movies, and although this one might not be the normal exploitative feast I usually gorge my eyes on, I was duly impressed.

In fact, I think it was this total lack of exploitativeness, that grabbed me. That and the excellently well done acting.

OK OK...explain yourself VideoMonkey!

All right, for instance, the girls... they were cute enough I guess and everything, but they looked like real honest to god teenagers, not 20-something silicon breasted porn stars in pigtails. And not a gratuitous shower scene in the whole movie. Nope nothing like that. Instead there is actually a interesting enough story to keep the viewers attention...I liked the story too, although you might want to be (or have been), or at least have, a angst ridden teenager to achieve the full effect. Truly though it didn't turn out the way I predicted and that in itself is a wondrous thing! I was expecting just another Columbine movie but this one is at least two notches above.

And the acting... definitely heads above most indie movies. It's right up there with 42K for sure! Solid performances all around...

This movie is technically well done, especially for a first time film maker... The music is cool..those little foreboding B&W security camera-looking flashes of the future were neat too...

This might not be for everyone's interest but it sure beats the hell out of any After School Special I have ever seen....I bet your teenager will think so too..

Lauren Friedman is characteristically excellent in this film, with Ryan Christopher also putting in a very good performance. Under Maria Petros's direction, the competent and engaging actors convey teen angst and emotion quite well.

The editing is a bit slow for my taste -- we linger at the end of some scenes without much reason. It's as if the acting has stopped, but the camera hasn't.

All told, the movie is well-acted and well-implemented, but the source -- i.e., the script -- isn't strong enough to render the film truly excellent.

The story focuses on suicidal teens and the support they find -- or don't -- from the parents and friends. It's Pump up the Volume or Heathers, stripping away the dark comedy and focusing in on the serious issues at hand.

What an adventure into the minds of teenagers and yet, "Ascension" reveals nothing. No smug solutions, no simple answers...just reality. The film is honest and raw. It views the relationship between parent and child as weak at best, states that the media has as much to do with high school shootings as oil has to do with vinegar, and that trust... is a trait well earned.

These are the only remedies given to us in "Ascension." The film is powerful, with a heavy subject, and told well by newcomer Maria Petros. The cast makes "Ascension" really sparkle. Look for the stars in this film to shine and move on to bigger things.

Everything comes together well...but this is not a feel-good movie. Bring a box of tissues to this one folks!

First-time director Maria Petros has crafted a taut, well-acted tale of teen angst and the private tragedies that ultimately lead to public violence.

As writer, producer and director, Petros has evidently marched through the hades that is Independent Film and survived, but moreover has proved that a small budget and limited resources need not stand in the way of a skilled director delivering an involving, satisfying movie experience.

In spite of the familiar subject matter, this is an original story with true suspense and believable performances by a large cast of both teens and adults. Worth watching, not only for its cautionary message, but for a chance to watch a sensitive young director like Petros transfer true emotion from script to screen.