Burning Annie

I'm not a big fan of long winded reviews, technical blathering, unabashed praise for "breaking new ground" or endlessly cheering another cinematic innovation when these elements disguise a weak story.

Thankfully, BURNING ANNIE is anything but that. It's a somber, somwhat bipolar view of what it's like at College for THE REST OF US. You know, the one's who didn't have that AMERICAN PIE experience in the "best years of our lives", the one's who, more often than not, didn't get the girl, and ultimatly, the ones who still examine our lives, wondering what more we can get from it. That said, BURNING ANNIE holds more in tune with THE RULES OF ATTRACTION than VAN WILDER or any recent college film in memory. It's not entirely uplifting, but it's true to life, and it's humor is found through these moments, the ones we all can relate to. While the copy of BURNING ANNIE I saw wasn't 100% complete, and the festival venue was less than stellar, it was truly one of the gems out there. Few times have I heard more people discussing it over a post-film cigarette.

Will BURNING ANNIE be a smashing success like AMERICAN PIE? Probably not.

Does BURNING ANNIE break new ground? Not exactly.

Are it's characters rich, fully fleshed out, with real flaws and real pains? Yes, yes and YES!

And that's it's strongest point. Everything else, from the moody rag-tag indie label music, to the subdued somber lighting, paints a beautiful portrait of REAL people struggling with REAL problems trying to find their places in the REAL world. From the direction to the acting and everything in between, it's a solid, consistent production that, despite a few minute hiccups, has earned a place among my favorites.

But it's not a movie for everyone, and if it doesn't get distribution (which would be a shame) few will have a chance to disagree with me. In an age of target marketing and mindless gross out targeted at the village idiots, it's a breath of fresh. And to those who like thoughtful well paced character studies about the transitions in life and the prices we pay, this is a film for you!

As a first time movie, few films rival it, so it's with great excitement that I look foreward to another production by the same cast and crew.

Few films can come close to the fun and charm and class of Woody Allen's best romantic comedies, but Burning Annie does everything it can to come close on its low-budget, DV-style. It was made on the cheap, but there's a lot of heart put into it, and the characters end up being in some wider depths of range than expected. There's the insecurities faced, the shallowness, the admittance of guys as potential 'failures', albeit out of a kind of lackadaisical malaise college brings on, and how relationships- cliché included here- are hard work. Max (Gary Lundy) tries to break off from his biggest hang-up, which is watching Annie Hall like it was going out of style. For him it starts to seem as some kind of crazy sign that he cant hold on to relationships due to the movie. So he stops watching it after his last girlfriend left him. Enter in Julie (Sarah Downing), who apparently, according to his friends is a bit like the Annie character. Can he deal with this, or will he finally succumb to the bliss of a person he likes to be around with, his neuroses attached and all. Maybe there's only so much of Allen in Max, and by the end he has to get to terms with what's really in him and what's not in being with those he wants to be with.

What makes the comedy rich is in the simplicity and expectations. The latter could be a problem, but the actors are fairly capable of taking on some of the nuances of Zack Ordynans's script. The friends of Max- Charles, Sam, Tommy- veer sometimes into becoming caricatures, but they get pulled back by the realities of their lives (college doldrums, there own dysfunctional attachments and ties with the opposite sex), and they all usually get their own piece of character depth. I really liked specific moments in such characters in homage-style to Woody's film, like when the guys are in the store, and suddenly it spins over to the other side of the store, breaking the 'fourth wall', seeing the uneasiness of an awkward admittance from one to another that they like the other. It's been seen many times over, but it's clever in the actors simple marks on what their characters are about from scene to scene (fairly consistent, especially with the completely insecure Max as played in average manner by Lundy). I also loved the dinner scene where all the couples came together, only to see how things could crumble so easily in social situations.

Themes end up coming out well enough too even through the occasionally weak direction (a shot or two is pleasant enough, with some good tinting, but it's best when the director just lets the actors have their way with the material). Commitment, both to the other in a relationship is one of them, but not just in the rudimentary sense always, and Max's own two-sided self that becomes in conflict when hapless wit has to contend with more stable, down-to-earth emotions. The script is aware of not just the effect of pop culture on college kids (the Kevin Smith and Goldeneye dialog is pretty sweet), but of the labels brought out in such situations. Not that it's always completely successful; the ending felt a little on the uneasy side due to what happens in motivations between Julie and Max, as well as the dialog in the last dorm scene with the guys. But for the most part Burning Annie has charm to spare, even through typical scenes like at a rock club, and quiet little moments like playing hockey video-games and with a few great zingers put in there: "ooh, Snow Dogs." It's a little indie 'rom-com' that strikes much better at its narrow goals when compared to sociopathic case-studies in the guise of believable Hollywood relationship fodder. 7.5/10

I saw this movie in a film festival this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun! Hopefully it will get picked up and distributed soon so more folks can see it. It's basically about this college guy who decides that his obsession with the movie Annie Hall is a curse on his love life. I'm usually pretty picky about comedies but this one got a lot of giggles out of me, and it had a great reception at the film festival, so keep your eye out for it!

Van Flesher's `Burning Annie' is a smart comedy about a neurotic college student who becomes convinced that his obsession with Woody Allen's `Annie Hall' is ruining his love life. Unlike so many twentysomething comedies, `Burning Annie' relies on a strong story and a talented cast of characters to tell its tale.

Gary Lundy is fantastic in the lead role of Max, a college station disc jockey who keeps changing his radio program's schedule out of fear that someone might be listening. Kim Murphy plays Beth, Max's ex-girlfriend and sounding board, and Sara Downing plays Julie, Max's new love interest. These strong performances are rounded out by Brian Klugman who plays Max's goofy sidekick, Charles, in a role reminiscent of the Tony Roberts character from Allen's `Annie Hall', if only in spirit.

The script, by Zack Ordynans and Randy Mack, is filled with dark wit and clever dialogue, and provides a surprisingly honest look at everyday college life. It's self-referential without being too cute, and manages to tip its hat to Allen's `Annie Hall' while remaining fresh and original, throughout.

`Burning Annie' is well worth a look -- one of the surprise hits from thi s year's festival circuit.

I saw Burning Annie at Clark University on April 3, 2004. Burning Annie is about a bunch of college kids who blame their poor luck with relationships on their ritualistic watching of Woody Allen's Annie Hall. The script is brilliantly witty and would seem to be begging for comparison to Woody Allen himself, if not for its moments of modesty and self-deprecation. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that is its charm. The film's editing was fun and playful, fitting into the rest of the film perfectly. Absent of any stars, the acting was quite impressive. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gary Lundy in another film very soon. As a college kid, I can completely relate to the characters and storyline. They hit the nail on the head with this movie. Overall, this was a superb film, and I would recommend Burning Annie to anyone looking to have a good time with a movie.