Dakota Skye

Mr. John Humber is a name we will all soon be hearing about.

I just saw this movie at the Phoenix Film Festival... I was blown away by the quality of the writing, the acting, the soundtrack, and, above all, the direction, the overall creativity of it. Eileen April Boyle is a standout, though her co-stars put in good performances. The script by Chad Shonk is remarkable in its subtlety, its creativity (especially given the genre), and for the reality of the world presented.

As a point of comparison (for you indie film lovers), Ed Burn's debut, BROTHERS McMULLEN, doesn't hold a candle to this film. And that's not to diminish Mr. Burns, but rather to communicate the quality of this film. Remarkable. Outstanding.

I spoke with the director right after the screening, and he shared that it has been rejected from a number of festivals because there are no stars in the cast. The selection committees should be ashamed of themselves for such a decision.

If you get the chance, SEE THIS FILM. It has left me in that dream-like state which only excellent films can accomplish, where the characters are so well-drawn that you don't want it end, don't want the credits to play, and which holds your thoughts -- and your heart -- in its hands for a time afterward.

(John Humber, you're my hero.)

We just saw the "world premiere" of this brilliant independent film at the San Luis Obispo Film Festival. This low-budget little masterpiece was shot in just 16 days (a miracle in itself). Creative concept, touching and original script and compelling performances make this the "Juno" of 2008. It is funny and thoughtful and moving without being predictable or sentimental.

It deserves broad distribution so the world can share this realistic look at the value of truth in a world full of half-truths and lies.

Bravo to the young film makers who really got it right.

P.S. Josh Brolin was there to introduce his short feature "X". He stayed for "Dakota Skye" and was very enthusiastic about the film.

I had read so many good things about Dakota Skye, that I had to track it down and give it a spin. I agree with some of the positive things that have been said about it. The young actors that are the stars were uniformly wonderful and believable. The direction and acting all shared an organic feel, that made it easy to get into the vibe of the movie. 

Other than that, I wasn't really wowed by Dakota Skye. The story is interesting enough, and Dakota's ability, while fantastical, actually serves as the emotional groundwork of the movie. Dakota's personality is perfectly reasonable, given her circumstances. I know I'd be as cynical and jaded as she occasionally was. Maybe even more. It's refreshing to see such a well-written character. But beyond that, the movie was never much more than a mildly enjoyable experience. Decent, but not great. I liked the idea more than its actual execution.

I was at the Phoenix Film Festival this weekend, and it was one of the strongest batch of quality films I've seen at a festival. There were none of those high- profile stinkers (like Hound Dog) that always seem to slip into these showcases. Just good cinema.

By far the Best of the Fest was a little film called DAKOTA SKYE. It's a coming of age story (strike 1) with no stars (strike 2). But the film does not deserve to go back to the lockers. This should be seen by the widest audience possible. (At the fest, I saw a similar remarkable film, the already acclaimed American Teen. This was even better.)

And while it's about a 16 year-old girl growing up in Phoenix, the film is not your typical coming of age drama...not even close. There's a (let's say) superhero element that makes the film completely unique (without relying on its gimmick like say, What Women Want.) The ingenious script by Chad Shonk (who so deserved the Award he won) merely uses his gimmick as a jumping off point, to explore issues of trust. I am not the target audience for this film, yet it spoke to me in a way I would not have expected. (It's even more exceptional that the film was written, produced and directed by men, yet is such a strong woman's picture.)

And the cast may not be stars, but they can Act, with a capital A. Eileen Boylan gets a star-making part as the emotionally conflicted Dakota. She plays well off of Ian Nelson and J.B. Ghuman as the two men in her life. Each performer brings a different energy to the film, and you can see what appeals to Dakota and draws her to both guys. (The conflict is highlighted in an amazing movie theater scene that contains some of the film's best dialogue and most subtly powerful direction.) Nelson shows the skills of a solid leading man, while Ghuman should be required casting for any filmmaker looking for an actor who can steal the movie. His mixture of jerkiness and emotional sincerity should be taught to other actors of his generation who keep messing parts like this up.

The film is really well edited. For a dialogue-heavy film, there's a lot of montages and they feel carefully planned, not scraped together out of whatever footage was lying around. (Something that you come to expect to find in a first-time Indie film.) And it's all tied up with a light and bouncy score that knows when to come in and when to let the actors do the heavy lifting.

I learned this is the feature debut of director John Humber, and I can't wait to see where he goes next. This is an assured first film (like the best parts of Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides or David Gordon Green's George Washington.) My big fear is that, with no stars to push, the film will get lost on the festival circuit and we will all lose out on one of the most exciting filmmakers I've seen in a while. I urge everybody to mark this page, google the film, do whatever you have to. If this film comes to your town, DO NOT MISS IT. If you happen to be on a festival committee, don't be so quick to give it a pass. (Like Hustle & Flow, the film gets better and better as it goes on.) You'll want to say that you played this film and supported this filmmaker. (He also gives an excellent Q&A.)

DAKOTA SKYE, the best independent film that isn't getting enough attention.

p.s. I was inspired to write this review because I worry the film won't get released in theaters or come out on DVD. And I really want to own this film on DVD. I don't want the festival to be the one and only time I get to watch it.

Watching Dakota Sky was like breathing sweet air on a quiet summer evening. The writing is almost pitch-perfect - a quality that is this movie's stand-out feature, for me. The characters are honestly developed and well-acted. The film's structure and pacing are very fine - almost perfect.

The only downside is that the story is slight. (More drama, depth and complexity would have made this a better film - a different one, too, of course. I think the writer, director and cast could have handled it.)

Considering the budget, this is an outstanding production overall, and worthy of attention.

(I wanted to know more about the producer, director, writer and actors, and was disappointed to find that no one has produced Wiki pages for most of these creative artists, as yet.)