Young Lion of the West

Aaron Sorkin said about writing that his greatest screenplays are based off a simple series of "if/then" statements. To put it simply, cause and effect. Applying this same logic to any film script is a simple formula to create the drama we all know and love to watch on the big (and more so little in today's age) screen.

Reality TV star Joey Sasso is on display, in more ways than one, in his freshman effort "Young Lion of the West." It is absurdly ambitious, as Sasso conceptualized, wrote, assisted in directing, and starred. This is as "indie" as an indie film gets. A micro budget, micro crew, local actors, all leading to what can only be applauded as a tremendous effort by all involved. Sasso deserves an immense amount of praise and appreciation for what he was able to accomplish on what is essentially a student film. Sasso also displays the acting talent of someone who could potentially reach beyond "loud annoying frat boy" type casting. His range is currently limited to the occasional scowl and the stereotypical single cheek tear, but the talent and passion is there and it's evident. Sadly, ambition takes you only so far, and this is where the praise ends.

Young Lion is a thematic catastrophe. A literal mess of disjointed plot lines that don't resolve and sudden out of the blue curve balls that seem as though they could've been twists in a more competent screenplay but here they fall flat as the ramblings of someone who didn't know the theme they wanted to portray. Theme is the key to story, and for the life of me I couldn't tell you what the theme of this film is. Is it greed? Perhaps, but we drop that in favor of addiction. Is it addiction? Perhaps, but we lose that theme in favor of cheap "crime drama" thrills. Unfortunately I believe that the theme here is that there isn't a theme, more so a hodgepodge of hundreds of different ideas that never formed a collective.

I can't help but wonder if the film was purposely written in the often overused avant garde style of European films where the story is that there isn't a story. The pandering non sense of a first year California film school student who's so proud of the fact that they made a "movie" when in reality they haven't expressed any idea outside of their own pompous thoughts that they MADE something. On the flip side is this movie not as artsy as all that and in turn is just a mess because Sasso, while proving to be a solid screen presence, just isn't a writer? Not every actor is a writer/director, and that's fine.

Young Lion pans out to be nothing but a jumble of other ideas that simply never form a cohesive story. If it is attempting to be an edgy art house flick in the vein of famous avant garde European filmmakers from the 70s and 80s, it fails at visually compelling the viewer. If it's attempting to be brutal crime thriller about the consequences of greed, it fails to grip the viewer enough to make them feel the consequences of the seemingly random and nonsensical violence. If this is simply trying to be a character piece about one man's journey through life it fails there too because the characters don't display any sort of linear motivation or arcs. Sudden domestic violence motivated by out of the blue racism isn't an edgy filmmaking choice, it's lazy screenwriting to transition into an absolutely meandering third act.

If screenwriting boils down to a series of if/thens, I can't make heads of tails of the cause and effect that creates the dramatic tension in Young Lion of the West. In a more gifted filmmakers hands, there's a story to be told here, as it stands, Sasso falls flat when trying to juggle too many balls at once. I'd be happy to see Mr. Sasso attempt to commit himself strictly to acting, perfect his craft, and IF he has a story to tell later down the road, THEN he can write a better sophomore effort. However, IF there's no story to be told, THEN you end up with a messy, pointless, meandering film like Young Lion of the West.

Been anticipating this movie for a while now and it sure didn't disappoint. As a Rochester native i've been keeping up with Joey's career and he's been talking about this for a few years now. I was pleasantly surprised with how the story played out. Kept my attention just fine throughout! Loved seeing some Rochester staples mixed in throughout the movie as well. These guys seem hungry and authentic and I hope they keep pushing out work together. Can't believe they were able to make this happen on such a tight budget and with limited resources and equipment. I was also surprised to see there was some established actors and actresses involved too! Definitely exceeded my expectations. Hopefully they do more work in Rochester!! Would be great for the blossoming film industry taking place in Western NY.

This movie is so raw and so real. So much respect is deserved by the small group of dreamers who built this entire result on very little more than a camera, an idea, and a vision.

Admirable dedication shines through without question; from the phenomenal acting of the entire cast, to full-fledged commitment to even the smallest details in a plot that evolves act to act in ways you'll never see coming.

If you've only ever seen Joey Sasso shouting at screens or competing for love on reality tv, you have no idea what you're in for with this one. Turns out the guy who pees in showers can actually act... who knew?

Absolutely worth the watch.

The storyline, the acting, the dialogue, the cameras and sound...all of it was superb! For being a first full length movie created by Joey Sasso and his crew, they nailed it! The way the story unfolds is relatable to all generations. Everybody knows somebody, or has been that person, to start out with glory in their eyes but fell onto a dark path. Your spectrum of emotions will be ignited during the highs and lows of the story. Sensitive topics of violence, drug abuse and domestic abuse are handled maturely and realistically. I look forward to enjoying more entertainment from this group in years to come.

The beginning was the typical Joey we all know from Netflix...loud flirtatious and Nick Donato is a character you can label and Judge just from looking at him. The film later turned a little dark and seeing it flip on real life scenarios from him being a junkie and finding out he has a kid. I did like the scenes of what he envisioned and would have liked to happen seeking help from his father, then reality hit and showed you that people have limits and give people chances until they reach a breaking point. The suicide with his mother is relatable being I had lost a family member to suicide. It had great real life topics people can relate to. The storyline could have flowed a little bit better , but for the budget that this film was made, it was a decent watch. Looking forward to seeing Joey Sasso in future movies. Even if it's guest appearances or something that isn't a main character in a movie, I feel he has a lot to offer and he shows he.