One Lyfe to Life

One Lyfe to Live is a really captivating story following a young man who wants to better his life, but is left with limited options as adulthood sets in. This film tells a really powerful story, and it kept me engaged the entire time. It truly is a captivating movie!! Really worth taking the time to watch. The writing, directing, and acting are all solid. While it may not be perfect, as an independent film, the creators did a great job. I also appreciate how they filmed a lot of scenes on location because this ultimately made the story feel more real. It also showed the nuance of "the hood life" and how it's not purely violence and crime, but there is friendship and love as well.

One Lyfe To Live is a inventive urban crime film shot on a low budget set in New York.

Lyfe (Nicholas Sanchez) is a young criminal working with a small crew lead by the psychopathic Generation (Kevin Bescombe who also co directed)

Lyfe isnt the worlds most sympathetic protagonist- hes violent manipulativbve impulsive and deeply self centred. Its almost like hes desensetized to everything unfolding round him- the only end to the road he's on is prison or death and he remains indifferent to both. Even an impending pregnancy with his ex girlfriend and the prospect of fatherhood barely moves him.

When a job goes horribly wrong it makes Lyfe a target of rival gangs , the police, members his own crew as it hurtles a him into a desperate course of redemption but it may already be too late.

The film visually takes a lot of risks and moves very fast- the cameras move alot- there's sweeping wide shots of the New York skyline and at one point Lyfe breaking the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience. The energy reminded me of a young Spike Lee.

Directors Kevin Bencosme and Deborah Cardona choose to defy the ugly stereotypes of this genre.

We come across well meaning characters trying to do their best the most noted is Jimmy (Shawn Better) a former promising university academic turned drug addict who is inevitably swallowed whole by the streets.

First off, this movie is oozing with style, lots of well thought out slow motion and intentionally minimal sound design set it apart. The music is on another level, I loved all of it and even threw a few songs into my playlist. I'd be super interested in seeing what these guys could do with more expert cinematography.

The plot revolves around a 20-something black man living in NYC. The plot is a little thin, but in a way it's kind of perfect for this experience. His story sort of wanders forward, weaving in and out of others lives, no part of it more important than any other, yet all of it together is like a full picture made of smaller puzzle pieces. I found myself super engaged with Lyfe (and especially with his budding relationship with Ayana) and his struggles, even as he made poor choices and learned his lessons. Lots of wisdom scattered throughout and I appreciate that the filmmakers took the subject matter seriously. Bittersweet ending really hit hard.

Here is my honest critique. Overall, this was a good movie. The story was well written with some good subplots. The pacing was good, a few slow moments, but good. This story depicted a realistic and relatable view of how some young men are caught in this never ending web of street life. Good way to depict the mother's fears of loosing their children to the street life. I am glad that this movie did not romanticize the street life, but displayed both sides, action and consequences. I thought some of the actors could have been a little stronger in their performances and there were a few audio issues throughout. The musical score was captivating and really gave this movie a soul. Good job.

Just watched this movie the other day. It was a great movie to watch. The actors did a great performance. One scene that really caught my attention and was really sad was the single mom. She did her best as a mom, and it wasn't easy for her. Many single moms go through similar situations. I will encourage my friends and family to watch this movie with their teenagers. It's a message for young men to understand that it's more to life than just maintaining the streets and just focus on their future with positive vibes. Congratulations and continue your journey. I will continue supporting your accomplishments.