30-LOVE

This is a small film with a big heart. Having Ira Heffler on board as the co-writer was a very smart move on the part of first-time filmmaker, Robert Cannon. Directing and starring in the film is a challenge, but I think Mr. Cannon held his own quite well playing the the grieving husband of his wife who just died in childbirth. This is information that is given at the very beginning of the film s it's not a surprise. Brenda Vaccaro is touching as the Mother of his deceased wife. Writing about loss and grief is always challenging, and I think this film addresses it in a thoughtful way. The metaphor of tennis, of learning how to play the game well is a great idea and used very successfully in this film. I think all of the actors are quite strong - large and small roles. I would like to see more from Mr. Cannon and Mr. Heffler - and I always enjoy Ms. Vaccaro's work.

To be fair I only put this on cause I was looking for another tennis film to watch. The opening scene left me saying, this is terrible what is this. But gave it some time and was really surprised at how good it was. Very simple narrative told with a heart. Thoughtful, Funny and tight script not at all fluffy with very good performances all round. I was routing for the guy. And shot for just 30k. Well worth a watch.

30-Love never goes where you think it will. And that's a good thing. At turns, very funny, very disturbing, very enjoyable, 30-Love offers a character study of an anti-hero much more in line with the great anti-heroes of the 1970's (think Jack Nicholson in FIVE EASY PIECES) than much of what we see in today's cinema.

The movie follows a grieving husband who has no idea how to deal with his grief at the loss of his wife or how to deal with the baby he now has to raise on his own. He decides to channel all his rage, confusion, sorrow into becoming a great tennis player within a year to fulfill a sports desire of his wife.

In the process, we see him fight with his in-laws, make some horrible parenting decisions, and become increasingly obsessive.

Filmmaker Robert Cannon, co-writer Ira Heffler, and the entire cast and crew really work to make a singular movie here. Very often the movie feels like it's going to fly off the rails with its tonal lurches left and right, from almost slapstick comedy to emotional darkness. But, forgive the pun here, the cast and crew definitely ace the serve.

The moviemakers clearly intended to mess with the expectations that come from a "ROCKY" type sports story. But they do it in a very smart, constantly unpredictable way that really makes you, sometimes against your will, acknowledge the flawed, complicated psychology that exists inside all of us.

This is definitely not your movie if you're looking for "Rudy"-like inspiration and "you can achieve anything if you believe in your dreams" type messaging. But if you're looking for an unpredictable movie, inspiring for how effective it is on such a low budget, this is a movie well worth checking out. You'll long remember it. It will stick with you in a rewarding way. And that's often the mark of a truly good picture.

I'm a fan of small indie movies and this is a good one. While is focuses on a man's obsession with succeeding in a sport, it certainly goes in a different direction from any sports movie you've seen. The main character's striving in tennis in his grief for his late wife, even as he neglects his infant child, is disturbing to watch. Though shot on a tiny budget, the film is stylishly directed, expertly photographed and edited, and features a terrific use of background music. It is also good to see Brenda Vaccaro back on the big screen in a key role in this film.

This nuanced film really struck a chord with me. Without ruining a good review with spoilers, I do not think that it is not too much information to share that the film shows a man spiraling through the various emotional depths of his personal grieving process. At the start there is a scene that makes the viewer question (along with the protagonist and his best friend) whether or not there is a "right" way to grieve. We never really get an answer. Instead, this film produces an emotionally nuanced and character-driven plot that allows us as the audience understand the sometimes conflicting emotions that bubble-up within a person when grieving. Also, this film develops into a story about who and what we turn to, and turn into, as we are changed by the experience of deep loss. Robert Cannon's ability to portray the simultaneously conflicting emotions of sorrow, anger, despair, hope, love, and even at times joy in the midst of grief truly speaks to the complexities of the grieving experience. The best friend of the protagonist, and what I'm tempted to call the bro-with-a-heart-of-gold, is played by Mark Gagliardi. However, this sometimes comical "bro" character proves more complex than just a stereotype. The best friend character in this film is also a delightfully complicated character that provides several moments of comic relief throughout the film while never becoming the archetypal fool. By the end of the film viewers never really get an answer about whether or not there is a "right" way to grieve. Without giving away too many specifics of the plot, I must say that the ending of the film left me feeling both profoundly hopeful and uncomfortable. This is anything but a cliché sports film. Nor is it a typical love, loss, or family drama. This film truly calls to mind the subtleties of that old French phrase: C'est la vie.