My Big Break

10 years ago I googled Wes Bentley, the character with the camera in American Beauty, and came across a website for a film called Carving Out Our Name, a documentary about four actors and an aspiring director living in a house they called "Masselin". In the late 90's, Tony Zierra decided to start filming his four roommates as they tried to make it in Hollywood. You can call it luck, you can call it foresight, whatever the case, three out of four of the guys living in the Masselin house eventually got their big breaks, and Tony was there to capture it all.

Carving Out Our Name, starring Chad Lindberg, Brad Rowe, Greg Fawcett and Wes Bentley, got it's big break when it screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2001, but the tragedy that took place the morning after changed everything, and Carving Out Our Name went into hiding for good. I always hoped the film would see the light of day and this year it has. My Big Break is Carving Out our Name's Father. It's older and wiser but mostly it is fearless.

It's surprisingly easy to relate to these guys as they struggle with success and fame and all that comes with it. It's even easier to relate to the one guy in the house who has to sit back and watch with envy as his three roommates make a name for themselves in Hollywood. At one point the director asks him to do something, anything, and what follows is at once equally hilarious and utterly heartbreaking. Tony Zierra's directorial debut is thoughtful, provoking and painfully real. It's non-fiction at it's best.

What I loved most about this film is the fact that the person telling the story is as much a part of it as the rest. The character with the camera in American Beauty come to life.

My Big Break is a documentary that unfolds like a punch to the gut. It took years for Tony Zierra to put it together, and like a fine wine it's now ready to be savored.

When I first saw it, I really wasn't that invested in being there at the start, but as the movie unfolded I was hooked. I couldn't look away.

Anyone who wants to get into movies should see this film as a warning about what to expect. The rest of us should see it because it's at once entertaining, engaging, funny, and tragic, and it features real people.

Hollywood doesn't want you to see this film, and that's a shame. In today's world of informed people, documentaries like those by Michael Moore, Al Gore and Morgan Spurlock are appreciated and enjoyed. Tony Zierra's film ranks with the best of them, and I hope that the fact Hollywood doesn't want it to be seen by the general public won't actually hinder its ability to find an audience.

Go see it; you'll be glad you did.

This unflinchingly honest documentary about four young up-and-coming actors sharing a house with the young filmmaker captures the exuberant whirl of unexpected success, the soul-destroying weight of persistent defeat, the constant pressure of being only as good as your next role, and the difficulty of portraying the unvarnished truth about any career in Hollywood. It runs the gamut from funny to excruciatingly painful, and the truth on display is sometimes hard to watch precisely because it is so searing. This should be required viewing for anyone setting their sights on an acting career, and for anyone who wants to know the reality behind the tabloids, talk shows, and entertainment magazine reports on Hollywood successes and failures.

Viewers should be aware that the film includes nudity and some profanity - this is not a film for children - but none of it is there just for effect. It's there because it's part of the story; part of the truth.

If you watch this film, you'll come away both sadder and wiser. It's well worth both the time and the emotional cost.

"My Big Break" is an astonishing achievement in documentary film-making. In telling the true story of the struggles of four actors and one filmmaker trying to make it in Hollywood one might say this is the most raw, honest, and enduring tale of tinsel town since the mythic and fictional "Sunset Blvd." It not only chronicles the rise of three young actors to sudden breathtaking fame but also the flat line of the fourths attempts at a career. And of course what the film is ultimately presenting is the fascinating tale of the film itself being made and trying to make it within the insular and cannibalistic land of the lotus-eaters. Brilliantly shot, edited and narrated by director Tony Zierra this is a must see for anyone with the slightest interest in Hollywood behind the scenes. (Or in pursuing a career there.) It is harrowing, funny, and deeply moving. I never expected to get sucked in by this but I must admit by the last entry from Wes Bentley juxtaposed by what the ultimate outcome of the tale turned out to be, well I nearly wept at the loss that was presented. Whether it is Hollywood, Hong Kong or San Francisco and you are a movie star, or an average Joe on the street it all boils down to what life is and what it can do to a dream and ultimately the dreamer. The score for the film is by a young rising talent out of Liverpool, David Ben Shannon. His contribution to the film is impressive. The score ranges from hip Hollywood sound to a few well places musical homage to films of the past. See if you can spot them. The score soars and supports the film just where and when it needs to. Overall a fine debut by an artist we will be hearing more from in the future. And I am sure more great things will come from Director Tony Zierra. A strong, passionate filmmaker who deserves at last his "Big Break"! Five stars and Bravo!

Tony Zierra has pulled back the curtain and challenges anything you might think you know about Hollywood. This raw roller-coaster of a ride follows the fates of 4 actors from when they first set foot in Hollywood. The meteoric rise of three, the gut-wrenching pain of the fourth as he watches his friends succeed. It is a must-see for anyone who has ever thought about entering the world of television or movies. It will leave you conflicted, but glad that you had this unique view into the lives of these men. Kudos to Mr. Zierra for continuing to fight the fight and for finally getting this movie released, and grateful thanks to the rest of the group for allowing us this exquisitely personal look into their lives.