Love and Baseball

I'm old, male, and straight. This movie was definitely not made for me. To be completely honest, I only watched it because I found the lead actress attractive. But surprisingly, I thought it was a pretty good movie. Considering it cost about $20 to make, the leads did a great job with the back and forth dialogue.

I don't like sports or romantic movies. Both genres are so full of tropes they predictable. This movie was neither and followed its own path and steered clear of those tired tropes. It was so refreshing and well done on a shoe string budget. It Was like a play. The relationships between the leads is touching without being too sappy. I absolutely love the neighbors! They remind me of how I grew up and how we grew apart. A gem and well worth the watch. Seems perfect for a film festival. Would watch again..

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

This was such a delightful movie! I was particularly impressed with how they made 3 different time periods look and feel very different, while still being the same characters and story. During the credits, I realized there were 3 cinematographers, 1 for each time period, which explains the different looks and tones, yet the director being the same gave them cohesion. It was also incredible that all three "chapters" were in the same location, but dressed very different, which leant to the changes the characters went though in each chapter too. Max and Tate were lovely to watch evolve as well. I also really enjoyed the through line of the baseball analogy that Max's character uses. Congrats to all involved!

A well shot, simple story about the reality of the Hollywood Meet Cute trope. Sometimes in life you swing for the fences and miss but that doesn't mean you don't keep trying. Max Arciniega (Krazy-8 from Breaking Bad) plays against type as Will, a nice guy that who lives his life by the rules of baseball. His chance encounter with Michelle, played adorably by Tate Hanyok has him rethinking if 3 strikes really means you're out or if maybe he should run to first on a dropped strike. Yes, this review has stretched the baseball analogy, but baseball, love, and chance encounters are the thrust of this film. It's a nice story told with a bit of heart by independent filmmakers with a limited budget, but what this movie may lack in Hollywood glitz, it makes up for with earnestness.

To me this is what indie filmmaking looks like at its best. It's a tender story from the heart told in three parts, a journey from the innocence puppy love to the complications of reality as we age. The themes are timeless, the writing is lovely, and the actors hit it out of the park with beautifully emotional performances.

(And FYI: this film has nothing to do with Love and Basketball other than the similarity in title. There's no appropriation and in fact comes from a diverse Hispanic and white cast & crew.)

The direction is clean and clear, the cinematography is pleasing on the eyes. It's well-crafted. Really charming flick. Thank you to the filmmakers.