Framily

'FRAMILY': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

An indie drama about six thirty-something friends who decide to try all living in a house together. Things of course get really complicated. It was written and directed by Joachim Heden and it's his second film. It debuted in Sweden two years ago and is now available for viewing in it's entirety (for a limited time) in the US (and the rest of the world) on Vimeo. The cast is mostly unknowns, including a girl I went to school with named Jennifer O'Kain. The film is a little too melodramatic for me and a tad too slow but the production values are decent and some of the actors are pretty good.

The film tells the story of six thirty-something friends who've all had their fair share of relationship issues. When Ethan (Richard Gunn) inherits his father's house, rather than sell it, he comes up with the idea of having all his friends move into it with him. Everyone thinks it's an odd idea and is reluctant at first to take him up on his offer but eventually see the new living arrangement as a a chance for change and a new way of living. Things get complicated quickly when drama ensues and each friend begins trying different things.

I really like the premise of the movie but think the filmmakers could have done a lot more with it. None of the characters were that interesting or especially likable to me and I didn't really care about any of their issues. The acting is all mostly decent, especially Gunn in the lead and Jennifer O'Kain (I'm probably biased but I think she's a talented and beautiful actress). All of the central cast is pretty to look at and the movie as a whole looks good. The director has a good eye for how to make a movie look nice, I think his screenplay could have used a few more rewrites though.

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