Sylvia

Sylvia packs a punch. The acting was incredible, the storyline is so powerful it takes you on a complete emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, I cried and then I cried some more. The cinematograpraphy and grade are beautiful. A must watch!

A delicate and emotionally touching piece. A beautiful debut which hopefully spawns some well deserved careers.

Without giving away too much, this film tells a beautiful story about love, loss and the power of community. From flawless performances, to the beautiful crafting of the production itself - this is a film that leaves takes you on a powerful journey, makes you cry and leaves you with a sense of hope. It's an impressive tale that has wowed every audience I've seen it screened at.

Greetings again from the darkness. Sure, we like to "name" our cars. And yes, we have memories of our first car - some fond, some a bit less so. But deep emotional attachments to a car are somewhat rare. After all, it's just hunks of metal, rubber, and plastic all assembled into a form of transportation ... a vehicle to get us from one place to the next, and hopefully back home again.

We join in what looks to be a typical family road trip. Mother, grandmother and two young girls are buckled in as the miles roll on. Mom scolds the kids for making a mess, and the grandmother eases tension by passing out candy. A roadside stop for ice cream is always a popular idea. What we learn is that the mother is having financial difficulties and the purpose of the trip is to sell the car she has named "Sylvia", after the classic song from Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.

Richard Prendergast's first film is 'based on a true story', and it is absolutely brilliant in its presentation - both visually and emotionally. Jolie Lennon, known best for her stunt work, is terrific as Mandy, the mom who must sell the car. It's clear that she is carrying a weight on the trip, and the stunning third act brings it all into focus. This is an extraordinary short film, and it's one I would have gladly paid 40 cents more for the next 3 minutes.

Sylvia was shown in Attleboro, MA. I viewed it in the company of friends.

The lessons are legion, but I carry with me one major take-away: The love we are fortunate enough to experience in this brief life is entirely durable as long as we breath -- and this can be both a blessing and a haunting, often simultaneously.

The unfolding is startling; the story is told going forward but later one is forced to look back over all that preceded the ending for full understanding. Masterful.

The material could have been handled in a sugary manner. It was anything but saccharine.The expertise of all involved meant I was taken completely by surprise at the conclusion and was left completely gobsmacked emotionally.

I immediately thought, as a avid film viewer, this one is Oscar-worthy.