Low Low

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.

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.

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 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.