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!

Low Low is much better than the few reviews led me to believe. It is well crafted in terms of writing and production values. The casting is fantastic and the four main characters have a very gritty, realistic connection. The story line is both small and giant in it's scope - small due to the containment of the action and time frame and giant in it's transformational process. There are devastating moments and there is light and hope. As someone who knows that hitting bottom - a low low - is often the only way to claw one's way back up to a better place, this film hits the mark. Kudos to the writer/director, cast and crew!

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:

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 had the good fortune to see this movie over the Labor Day weekend and attend a Q&A with the director after the show. I have no connection to any of the film makers or actors, so this is a review from a regular movie-goer, albeit one who does prefer indy films. If you have a chance to see this movie, either in the theater or through a purchase, it would be well worth your time and money. It is a lovely movie about four good friends in a pivot point between their high school years and what lies beyond. The film deftly explores how hard it is to stay in a hometown and a life, and how hard it can be to leave. In those scenes, I found myself comparing the film favorably to the 2017 film "Columbus" as both explore what it is like for young women to make decisions that remove them from caring for friends and family. What impressed me about "Low Low" was the depiction of how women care for each other and how they express that care through their actions. It is also a beautiful film, at times, to just sit an watch, reminding me of "Tangerine" in its cinematography. It is likely one I will seek out and see again.