Cinema Purgatorio

Enjoyed this film; the characters were well developed, believable and highly likable. The wit of the dialog and especially the scenes with character Nick (played to the hilt by Lavin Cuddihee) erupted into laugh-out-loud humor throughout. The Bill Murray-esque-ness came shining through and lent the story its gravitas. Set mostly on the lovely coast of the South Carolina Low Country, the beach is as much a character in the film as the actors, for even Walt Whitman could not ask the sea to be silent. Cinema Purgatorio is the second film by Chris White and Emily Reacher White that has blown me away - keep up the great work - can't wait for your next film!

Cinema Purgatorio is a wonderfully witty film about the idiosyncrasies that go into film-making. It's a brilliant riff on the behind the scenes life, filled with rich characters and a gripping story. With only a budget of 50k, everything was stellar, considering. I believe everyone would enjoy this quirky little film, particularly people who work in the industry. In addition to all of this, it is well shot and acted. It was visually pleasing. My favorite aspect of this film was the characters. They were well- written, and I enjoyed watching them interact with each other. Their dialouge between each other is witty and always had my laughing. I was also a huge fan of the music choices used within. I will be recommending this one to everyone I know.

CINEMA PURGATORIO was written, directed, and produced by folks who clearly have lived through (still living in?) the suffrage and anguish of indie film - yup: cinema purgatory. Pleasant, at times, painful throughout, PURGATORY puts you in the back seat as bona fide filmmakers navigate their way through the "f*cking" world of film festivals and indie film production. Constantly mocked, dismissed, and rarely taken seriously, the main characters, a filmmaking husband/wife team, Neil and Liz, do all they can to keep their filmmaking hopes alive, including a desperate attempt to win over actor Bill Murray by entering a novelty "48 hour" film competition. And as they faithfully go forth, it seems everyone has filmmaking advice to give, including a couple of mismatched knuckleheads outside a snow cone stand: "What are the three genres of independent feature films that always, always make money? Horror. Christian. And Gay!"

I attended the North Carolina premier of this movie last night, and absolutely loved it. The basic premise is that two marginally-successful film makers (who are also married to one another) decide to make a last-ditch effort before possibly throwing the towel in and opting to get "real jobs." The story was about the "human condition", and was, in turn, inspiring, poignant, and hilarious. The acting was first-rate; each character sprang from honesty and was entirely believable. Each character had his/her "turn", and made the most of it; but Lavin Cuddihee has a scene about 2/3 of the way through the film that had the entire audience laughing uncontrollably. This is a very fun and enjoyable movie, and I'd recommend it.

I saw this film twice at different intimate screenings in which the film makers were present, and found it to be a great dramatic comedy. It somehow still manages to stay within the lines of the format you would expect to see a modern comedy in while being extremely unique at the same time. The characters are interesting and refreshing and the actors are all so good in their roles it just makes the whole film seem effortless. A lot of films have tried to portray just what life is like on a film set, but this is the only movie I've seen that actually does it in a way that is interesting enough for people outside of the entertainment industry to be engrossed in the story.