The Surface (2015)
Company: Ariztical
Starring: Harry Hains, Micahel Redford, Nicholas McDonald,
My Review and Thoughts:
The Surface is a drama that lingers with you long after it’s
over. It’s a film that captures an artistic, vibrant story with excellent
imagery. Harry Hains is fantastic as your main character of Evan Jones. The
performances by all involved in front of the camera and behind the scenes of
the camera showcases a brilliance for the art of film making. The rich, emotional
and often times moving ordeal of the story creates inside you a lasting mark.
Your main focus is a young man named Evan. He is a man with no real childhood
past. He was stuck in foster, after foster care, and had no stability. Now grown, he and his
boyfriend Chris, are in love, but fight often over financial situations. One day, Evan goes to a yard sale of an older man named Harry. There Evan finds an old
8mm Camera. Harry tells him to come back, and he will teach Evan how to use it.
Evan takes up the offer and returns. Once there, Evan meets Harry’s son Peter.
Peter offers Evan some old 8mm films. Evan watches, and becomes a little obsessed
with the reality of childhood, family, friendship. Soon Evan and Peter become
friends, and romantically involved, causing emotional rifts in Evan as he tries
to find himself, to understand friendship and family. This all creates an
emotional roller coaster, spiraling and twisting the truths of life.
This is a 79-minute ode to life, drama, romance, finding
oneself. Discovering new things. Wishing the what if’s of life.
Starring a wonderful cast of performers. Michael Redford
Carney gives an utterly fantastic performance as Peter. He owned his part, and
created a character that you become a part of. He captured a fantastic
character in a flawless way. Next would be Nicholas McDonald did another
wonderful job capturing the character of Chris. All three Redford, McDonald and
Harry Hains, come together to create a very impressive film. All three
played off each other, in an emotional drama that makes you believe the plight
that each one is going through.
Written and directed by Michael J Saul. Saul captures a
moving, impressive experience for the viewer. This is his second feature length
film. He has created many short films. He has a talent in creating wonderful
characters, through dialogue, situations, and most of all the film flows as if
one is watching a piece of life happening.
The Surface is a must see film that I highly praise, and
recommend. It’s a wonderful film.
It’s beautiful. Realistic. Touching. It’s leaves you with a
great sense of story. It’s a film that opens a roller coaster of thoughts,
ideas, moments that make you think.
So many of us take for granted the idea of
having families. What The Surface does is showcases a young man, longing,
needing, wanting that reality that so many of us don’t even think about. The Surface
is a fantastic movie about finding a family, love, emotional dramas of
relationships, and the day to day reality of life.
This is in my viewpoint, a
must see film. Directed wonderfully. Acted amazingly by all. The pace, filming,
editing, give this film a completion of perfection. The Surface
is an extraordinary film.