Ingenious

Just saw this film at the AFI Dallas Film Festival. I was very impressed with all elements of the film: acting, direction, editing (though the dialog transitions were sometimes a little shaky), cinematography, etc. Dallas Roberts (Matt) and Jeremy Renner (Sam), who had not worked together previously, establish an amazing on-screen chemistry as best friends struggling to run a novelty gift business. The dilapidated storefront they operate out of is the emblem of their entrepreneurial disconnect: high on energy and ideas, low on success. Ayelet Zurer, the smoldering Israeli beauty, plays Matt's long-suffering wife Gina with nuance and flair.

I would recommend this film not only to indie fans who like a fair amount of high-speed comedy mixed in with their drama, but also to *anyone* who has ever tried to run their own business, and really put themselves out on a limb for an idea or a dream.

All great films (and this is surely one of them) have a key line or scene that summarizes the film. Without giving anything away, I will tell you that in this film, it is the closing scene atop a mountain with Matt and Gina.

Jeremy Renner was at the screening for a Q&A. He was funny, quirky, and candid, much like his character in the film. I can't wait to see this guy in more vehicles, even the television series "The Unusuals" that he's making with Amber Tamblyn.

Two thumbs way up!

If the woman was as alluring-captivating as her, I'd have in a heartbeat made her a full partner as well (totally slick the way she gets 'him' set up). Well cast.. all other actors do good work, but I watched this film specifically to see Ayelet Zurer. Her performance in my mind was the payoff, she is just something special (incredible at 44... bing her.. binged.it/1sHfTuB ..look at all her incredible pix). It is totally obvious why she is so damn popular in her country, too bad more of her better work is not available to stateside audiences. Back to this movie, it's a fairly typical storyline, with your oh-so foreseeable ending.. with a slight twist. Had it come up with more noteworthy mood-enhancing background score, it could possibly have achieved another star. It definitely benefits from another full viewing.

I saw this at a special showing at The Loft (one of the best independent theaters in the country) last month. While everyone in the theater had a special affinity with the film (it was shot entirely in Tucson and every street scene brought a gasp of familiarity from the audience), there was more to the buzz than just local pride. The story is believable and fun, and while some of the circumstances might have been exaggerated, the characters ring true and there is a wonderful spirit that flows through the entire production. It's the kind of film that doesn't seem to get made these days, and it sat in unedited limbo for quite a while waiting for financing to finish it up. I can see why, because the marketing will be tough since there is no obvious target audience. But when it shows up in wider spread distribution, go see it. It's an evening well spent.

This movie was filmed in Tucson AZ in different parts of the city. I was doing Security for the set and didn't really know what all it was about but did see Richard Kind and Jeremy Renner and didn't know who either were at the time but did recognize Richard Kind from TV but didn't know his name but know he was a well known actor. This movie was filmed in 2007 and I had been trying to find it for years because I guarded the camera, lighting and trailers and kept homeless people from wandering into the set up areas during filming but didn't know the name of the movie. Almost every part of town they filmed in was the ghetto to...lol No joke they left millions of dollars worth of camera and lighting equipment and trailers and the cars they used for the movie just sitting on the street or in parking lots with only one unarmed Security guy at a time watching the stuff. It was a miracle nothing got stolen. Now that I finally found it online I was able to watch it and remember the green car that was on the set and the different places we went where they set up for days at a time to film. Almost got in a fist fight with a homeless dude that wanted to eat with the crew working on the film when they were set up at the TCC downtown. Dude was refusing to leave...lol If I had known Jeremy Renner was going to become such a well known actor i would have asked for his autograph because I was everywhere the cast, extras and crews were working and guarded the trailers. One thing I learned in doing Security for a movie set is that the camera and lighting guys are the hardest working people in the movie industry, those guys had a hard job. Anyway, I honestly didn't like the movie but was glad to finally see it because it was filmed in my hometown of Tucson AZ and I was one of the Security guys working the set with a company called Tactical Elete Security.

Jeff Balsmeyer's "Ingenious" focuses on a pair of inventors about whom I had never heard. Dallas Roberts and Jeremy Renner play the friends who are trying to find the next great innovation, a process that isn't without a few challenges. Their great achievement is something that looks as if it would be pretty neat to own. Sometimes when I see movies that look at these topics, it surprises me that I'd never heard of the subject (in this case the kind of bottle opener that they create). Now that I know about it I just might try to go out and find one of those bottle openers. In the meantime I recommend this movie. It's not a masterpiece but still worth seeing.