Too Much Sleep

The young first-time director, David Maquiling, crafts an unusual journey through the streets and backyards of suburban New Jersey. The film has an ethereal quality driving it as well as a pre-9/11 simplicity. The innocence of the main character clashes with the off-kilter actions and ramblings of the numerous secondary actors. I enjoyed the quirky what-will-happen-next view of the world exhibited by the screenplay. The director also has a deft eye for widescreen composition even though he is not working with the process in this film. One shot in particular, toward the end of the film, has Jack, the hero, chasing the possible perp around a corner and down a leafy street. The frame of the movie is busy but not cluttered. The two men race past a factory building on the right side and the angles and movement achieved in the shot evoke the best of any authentic prior 'Scope process. Kudos to everyone involved for a job well done.