Low Low

Wasn't sure what to expect as I didn't know any of the actors in this movie but it's was really good! It really surprised me and I wouldn't be surprised of this movie blows up!

I was blown away by the characters in this film! The intensity of the lives they lived, and the brokenness of their life circumstances was heartbreaking and raw. The complexity of life lived by those raised in addiction and poverty is overwhelming and this film beautifully captures those moments.

I knew nothing about who wrote and directed it from the start, found out after, but throughout the film I kept saying to myself "wow, this really feels like it was written by a guy". The two main pitfalls of trying to write about s from a female character's perspective seem to be focusing too much on the physical, and not delving deep enough into the emotional. To his credit, he tried, but from the very start there was too much about body parts & nakedness, and the primary emotion displayed was anger (again, a very male thing). There were parts where the female, teenage main characters were supposed to be afraid, but for the most part it fell flat. (Afraid of what exactly, why?) There were other parts where their actions just didn't seem plausible.

Driving a few final nails into the coffin of this waste of acting potential was his terrible directing. For example, two key action scenes were missing crucial shots which would have given the viewer spatial context. It was also supposedly shot in Vancouver, WA - but every outdoor scene is littered with palm trees and CA license plates. (The director is from Vancouver.. so, there's really no excuse for that.) Then there's the seemingly total lack of extras, making several scenes ostensibly, awkwardly, sparsely populated. I could go on, but there's too much. It just sucked.

So. If you want to see a passably earnest attempt at a profound, coming-of-age, charged drama as told from the perspective of mostly POC teenage girls, but written by a middle aged white guy, well, I don't know why you you would want that - but this would be it. :shrug:

Literally, one of the best of its kind....

I'm not even sure what I want to say here, I often give this much thought before typing something up and posting it.... That's what's tricky about films like this.... One may get to the end and ask "what?!" and pick apart seemingly unfinished parts and be upset over unanswered questions ..... This is a film you just, have to, feel.... it's one of those, ya know? Its creators did SUCH A BEAUTIFUL job with this! Definitely feels as real as it gets! Every character delivers in that way! Gives found footage realness, in a sense... Heartbreaking and beautiful and wonderful and near perfect. Again, I say- when in reference to films of its kind.... I'm just gonna stop rambling now and end it saying- I watched the trailer afterwards (I dove right in while Prime scrolling, something I rarely do) and my heart swelled so much I felt like I'd explode with tears and emotions- sitting here staring at my phone covered in goosebumps..... and then I came here, so... Yup.

Street smart, uncompromising, sexy, bitter, funny, feminist and beyond all else, raw, Low Low is an indie film that strives to say so much, often through nothing but subtext and casual banter alone. It's a beautiful and honest piece that depicts the rough slice of life four woman have carved out for themselves in a tired, suburban world, managing to do so with genuine finesse. Patient writing and gut wrenching performances from all the leading women (special mentions go to Ali Richey and Kacie Rogers) help lure the viewer into the story and get them thoroughly invested in the nuanced conflicts that threaten to tear any happiness these girls have found clean in two. It's not a perfect film per se, and it doesn't intend to be. It's messy, it has cracks, it's dirty... just like the lives of its four leads, and these "imperfections" ultimately yield truth and empathy that so many indie films today genuinely lack. It isn't an easy watch, for the girls have a tough go of it throughout, but that's life, and that's what I appreciated the most. This movie is a breath of fresh air, and even if it's cold, biting air that comes along in the dead of winter and stings just a bit, it's hugely refreshing nonetheless.