In Your Eyes (2014) – Review

Review: In Your Eyes is a powerful romantic drama that plays in the supernatural/sci-fi genre (well, it sort of does). The film is about Rebecca Porter and Dylan Kershaw; although they are separated by thousands of miles and have never met, they share a strange connection. They are able to feel each other’s emotions, see what the other sees, and even speak to one and other – each inside the other’s head. They are different in many ways, but they are both alone in the world and for the first time find something real and meaningful in each other. A romance of sorts develops, but Rebecca is married and Dylan is on parole trying to sort out his life across the country. A real relationship between the two seems impossible, even though a deep connection is forming.

There are a few things that really should hold In Your Eyes back. Chiefly, it looks and feels like a TV-movie (and not the quality, HBO produced kind). The film was produced on a micro-budget and released completely independently online (which is the future of indie film, I think). The look is enough to maybe scare off a few potential views, as it does look and feel a bit cheap (although, that said, it is fairly well-done considering it was made for essentially no money). Secondly, the supporting characters do not bring much to the film, existing merely as foils and plot point-driving narrative pieces. Character-wise, they are all underwritten and emotionally unimportant.

Yet, the main characters, Rebecca and Dylan, are very well written, acted, and developed. Their stories and shared story pulls the audience in, completely overcoming the deficiencies disgusted above (I forgot that the film looked and felt like a cheap TV-movie and that the supporting characters were weak; I was wholly drawn in and engaged by the main characters – like any great romance should).

Director Brin Hill and writer Joss Whedon handle the romance, drama, and comedy between Rebecca and Dylan beautifully. While the narrative does not shy always from genre troupes and clichés (I almost wonder if the title In Your Eyes is a reference to Say Anything… and Peter Gabriel’s iconic song that plays a pivotal role in that film), Hill and Whedon still present something that ultimately feels fresh and vital (again while seemingly embracing genre clichés – Dylan and Rebecca are in many ways just another reimagining of Romeo and Juliet). It is very funny when it needs to be, yet stunningly dramatic and tension filled when the narrative swells. Rebecca and Dylan’s love is that of storybooks, needing to overcome great obstacles. Hill and Whedon are able to elevate In Your Eyes above the constraints of its low budget with Whedon’s great dialog, story structure, and scenes and Hill’s sound directing.  The leading performances are just right too.

In Your Eyes has sort of a fantasy/sci-fi premise, yet it does not define the film or the characters. It is just the manner by which they meet. The filmmakers are also very smart to not try and explain it at all. It is simply just a strange phenomenon connecting these two people. And thus, the film works simply as a strong romantic drama, built (like all good romance narratives) around two people the audience wants to see fall in love with each other who begin to fall in love with each other, but this is Whedon, so a happy ending is not necessarily guaranteed (creating some of the great tension in the film; even though I could guess the plot and ending with ease, I still somewhat discounted myself because there is enough underlying tension that it seems possible that things will just all fall apart).

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Director Brin Hill has made a few other low budget projects (and I am not too familiar with his work), but In Your Eyes is certainly a piece to be proud of for him. Joss Whedon provides a solid script for Hill to build off. It is easy to complain about a lot in the film, but really Whedon does such a wonderful job with his main characters and their story that nothing else really matters. Their narrative simply grabs you and holds you right until the end. You really care about Rebecca and Dylan (something that is becoming rare in most modern romantic films).

The film has a super small budget, and that is clear from the visuals, sound design, and all other production aspects of the film. Composer Tony Morales, however, provides a good score with some catchy songs. Elisha Christian’s cinematography also does a good job showcasing the different worlds Rebecca and Dylan live in. Rebecca’s upper class life in New Hampshire is very bleak and cold (shot with a blue tint), while Dylan’s is quite the opposite visually (his small New Mexico town shot in a warm orange tint), and yet they are both seemingly alone and trapped. Production designers Cindy Chao and Michele Yu (who also designed Whedon’s other micro-budget film Much Ado About Nothing) help create this stark contrast as well.

The cast overall is good, but the two leads are fantastic. Steve Harris, Mark Feuerstein, and Nikki Reed are good with what they are given in support. Michael Stahl-David is very good as Dylan. He creates a character that is charming and sympathetic, but also one who cannot seem to get out of his own way. He desperately wants to be a good man, but his past and his circumstances seem to too easily define him. Stahl-David brings so much energy to the role that it is hard not to immediately like him. Zoe Kazan is wonderful as Rebecca. She has the difficult job of playing a character that is stifled in almost every way, leading to her being in seemingly a constant state of self-doubt (so much so that she has trouble coping, having previously spent time in a psychiatric center). She appears fragile, but Kazan gives her a great inner strength and wonder that is just ready to burst out if only she were supported and loved and not merely sheltered and confined (like a caged bird). Kazan is already a bit of an indie darling, but with the right roles she could breakout; she has the talent. She and Stahl-David have profound chemistry, even though they only physically share one moment. Their performances make the film.

Summary & score: In Your Eyes has many obstacles to overcome (most stemming from its tiny budget) and it is maybe a bit overly sentimental/clichéd (but so are most, if not all, other romantic dramas), but it succeeds wonderfully thanks to beautiful and charming leading performances and a script that loves its two main characters and its genre, the romantic drama. 7/10

Watch the film here.

Much Ado About Nothing (2013) – Review

Review: Much Ado About Nothing is an absolute joy. The film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s comedic play about two couples Claudio and Hero and Beatrice and Benedick. Claudio and Hero are in love with each other and plan to marry, but Beatrice and Benedick loath each other, constantly engaged in a war of insults. Content with their own relationship, Claudio and Hero concoct a plan to bring Beatrice and Benedick together, with the help of friends and family. However, not all are included in this happy love and tomfoolery – the villainous Don John devises his own plan to ruin everything, just because he can.

 Writer-director Joss Whedon brings the play into a modern setting while keeping Shakespeare’s language. There is always an awkward disconnect between the modern backdrop and the words. It is true of this film as well, but Much Ado About Nothing seems to lend itself better to a modern framework than many of Shakespeare’s plays as the themes and characters translate just as vibrantly today as they did hundreds of years ago. Still, there are some moments that feel strange and do not fit the modern environment well – like guns replacing swords and the idea of a woman’s virginity being so important when being courted for marriage (which feels very outdated now).

Whedon uses black and white photography to give the film sort of a 1940s feel and look (even though it is set in present time), and the music score reinforces that feel as well (seemingly to create a modern yet timeless feel). However, the film does not cross over into noir territory tonally, as Whedon keeps it pretty light for the most part. But, there are still stylistic throwbacks. Dogberry and Verges, for example, feel like typical noir-era detectives, though again played for comedic effect, while Beatrice and Benedick could be interchanged with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn (doing their best screwball comedy work).

What Whedon does exceptionally well with the material is that he captures the characters brilliantly, especially Beatrice and Benedick (who are both wonderfully played). The audience completely buys into their love/hate relationship, and Whedon’s decision to include a prologue showing that they had a previous sexual relationship only strengthens Beatrice’s case for why she is so scornful towards Benedick when he first appears. Whedon gives the audience something tangible that they can visually latch onto and relate to (while they are adjusting to the language). Additionally, Whedon has his actors play their emotions slightly bigger which greatly enables the audience to follow along.

Much Ado About Nothing has never been my favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies (I love Twelfth Night) nor is it his funniest (based on other adaptations I have seen), but in Whedon’s hands it is as funny as it has ever been. Again, the actors play everything a little bigger, and thus the comedy is very physical if not slapstick (filled with pratfalls and big expressions), which works to great effect. This is an extremely funny film (probably the most laugh inducing film of the year so far). And as such, it is the joyous film experience of the year (it is hard not to have a big smile on your face while watching it).

However, the sometimes silly tone that the film takes with its comedic moments somewhat undermines its dramatic moments. The villainy of Don John just seems out of place, and when Claudio chastises Hero for what he believes are her crimes it comes off as unimaginably harsh – in that, given the light tone that the film has had until this moment, it feels preposterous that Hero and her father could ever forgive Claudio. The emotional and tonal swing between the buffoonery of the comedy and the sheer seriousness of the sudden emotional drama is almost too much. It is so abrupt and shocking that it is hard to except that things could be happy in the end (Beatrice literally wants Benedick to prove that he loves her by challenging Claudio to a duel – and in this version that includes guns – thus, Beatrice is earnestly asking Benedick to kill Claudio for what he did to her cousin; how does Claudio come back from that in the eyes of Beatrice, Hero, and Leonato?). As a result, the film feels a bit awkward in moments due to the drastic change in tone. That said, the comedy is too great to lose, and so the clumsy tonal shifts are easily forgiven.

Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing is probably the strongest (and best known) filmic adaptation of the play, as tonally and character wise everything works exceptionally well. However, Whedon’s film offers a version that is many ways exceeds it, particularly comically (and Beatrice, Leonato, Don Pedro, and Dogberry are fantastic, but I do love Branagh’s Benedick). Yes, the language is an obstruction for many (as will the black and white photography and noticeably low budget), but those willing to give Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing a chance will be delightfully enchanted.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Joss Whedon adapting one of Shakespeare’s plays just seems right. Whedon has always, if nothing else, been a master of langue and character, and Shakespeare was his teacher. Plus, Whedon and his friends periodically meet to casually perform Shakespeare’s work for fun. This film was inevitable. Whedon brings a great energy to the material, garnering wonderful performances that make the words come alive.

Whedon also composed music for the film. His score has a classic feel (again fitting the overall 1940s era vibe that the film has), and mostly serves as a mood setter for the film. Jay Hunter’s cinematography gives the film a very soft look with his black and white photography that feels very intimate (as if the viewer is just another member of the party), but the film also sometimes looks like a home movie, which is slightly distracting (it literally is a home movie, as Whedon shot it in his own home). Cindy Chao and Michele Yu’s production design at times has sort of a magical waft to it as the lights of Leonato’s party glisten against the night, while at other times seems very minimalist (which is mostly the case).

Even more so than either of Whedon’s first two features (Serenity and The Avengers), the performances here make the film special (as this completely lives or dies on them). Sean Maher definitely sets his Don John apart tonally from the other characters as he is utterly joyless, seemingly causing trouble merely because he is bored and wants to see the world burn (yes, that is a The Dark Knight reference). Jillian Morgese comes off as very sweet as Hero, but she is almost too bashful. She is somewhat lost in the mix. Fran Kranz seemingly is playing outside his comfort zone as an actor with Claudio, but he hits the right romantic notes and is devastating in his dramatic delivery. Reed Diamond (a standout among the cast) and Clark Gregg seem to be having an absolute blast as Don Pedro and Leonato respectively, and that is conveyed wonderfully to the audience who in turn is also having a great time. Nathan Fillion is goofy as Dogberry – a clueless hardboiled detective – but his sheer incompetence poorly veiled behind extreme confidence plays for splendid laughs. Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker have phenomenal chemistry (something that all fans of Angel know well), and thus their Benedick and Beatrice carry the day. Denisof is wonderful in his dramatic moments, particularly when conversing with himself, but it is his aptitude for comedy that really endears him to the audience. Acker, on the other hand, has a fierce wit with each slight striking like a rapier thrust. Her Beatrice feels almost tragic. She is beautiful, yet love (or the absence of it) has left her bitter.

Summary & score: If nothing else, Much Ado About Nothing is film experience sure to bring pure joy, laughter, and happiness to its audience. 8/10