Midlothia

Embarrassed to say, but I saw this movie twice, and oddly, didn't remember anything about it when I first saw it! However, the second viewing really sunk in and can't say enough about it! The acting was excellent and the narrative introspective and compelling! My only criticism of the story line is that we don;t have enough information on Fred (and Bill) to understand their subsequent reactions to one and another when confronted with certain truths! The ending, although realistic from the point of view of the narrative, left me questioning Fred's true feelings and that sometime down the road, he will have another clarity of thought and revisit his past.

Despite the good reviews others have posted, this movie falls short of a higher rating than the one I offer. The themes of friendship, loyalty, personal direction, and personal aimlessness are interesting. The setting is original and the filming is done rather well (the angles, the lighting, the location). The problem is the acting and the writing.

The acting is very amateurish and the story is over written (the dialogue is stilted for the characters and the delivery is continuously rushed by the actors). The director does have a good eye, as the camera angles and the beautiful opening photography engage the viewer, but once the actors open their mouths not even the cinematography can save it.

The plot is that Fred is leaving the backwater Texas town where he has grown up – however, he does not show up for his leaving drinks. He has split with his fiancée, April, and is leaving best mate Bill and not so best mate Duck behind.

Duck is not best pleased at losing a drinking buddy as his life has spiralled into an alcoholic miasma of meaningless since he got married and realised his life was going nowhere – slowly. April still harbours feelings for Fred but is not sure and Bill seems strangely aloof. Then Fred does an about face and declares he is not running away and will face the demons that made him want to leave – only he is not the only one who decides to face up to a few truths and what unfolds is actually a really well written and performed piece.

This is the sort of film that could have been a play. It has a tight but believable script and all of the actors are very good – James Thomas Gilbert playing Duck is a real scene stealer and I think is a talent that needs to get better gigs. The production lacks a bit in places but then this is an indie effort and it is funny, moving, and sad and even has some well placed pathos thrown in – not bad for a film I streamed on the off chance. If you like things to be slightly left off the field then this might be right up your street.

I saw MIDLOTHIA at the 2007 AFI Dallas International Film Festival. I had the pleasure of working with Director and Star Bill Sebastian a few years back on Irish American Ninja (I was the Irish guy in there) and I was very pleased with the outcome on MIDLOTHIA. I know Bill and the rest of the cast and crew worked hard on this drama and it shows. The movie's topics, such as alcoholism, abortion, faithfulness, among others, was handled expertly by Bill and co.

It was a very emotional film about every-day life and the four main leads were terrific. I'd be very surprised if these guys (and gal) didn't go on to bigger projects. As an independent filmmaker myself, I know what goes into making a film, any film and I give top marks to Bill and co. for a terrific heartfelt film.

Midlothia is a film based upon a play. It has a great deal to admire, and even to ponder and shout about, and very, very few flaws. The setting is achingly rural (set in the south, in Texas, far enough from the Dallas / Ft. Worth area to make any urban or suburban influence seem an impossibility).

The genre is a beautiful mix of drama and the comedic. The comedy is never forced, and yet still is genuinely funny, often laugh out-loud funny.

The story deals with four young friends who are all stuck in various states of stagnancy, just as they are stuck in Midlothian, Texas -- each for different reasons. When one of these four begins to move toward finally leaving town -- and then wavers in that decision, this becomes the catalyst for a plot which is wholly believable, and which also causes each of them to gradually reveal some awful buried secrets. The unraveling of those secrets will always engage the viewer, and at times will even thrill or frighten -- or threaten to explode into violence.

The film is low-budget, but that never seems to have a negative impact, mostly because it may have served to underscore the bleak poverty of the setting.

The flaws? Again, there are almost none. The largest may have been due to the source of the story. The film is based on a play, and as such it can tend to be a bit too "dialogue-driven." This can be fixed in adaptation to screenplay, of course, and more care at this stage might have avoided the occasional feeling that we are going to have to sit through four monologues, no matter what...

Ironically, though, the fact Midlothia was based on a play also caters to one of its greatest strengths. The fact that most of the real action takes place in one single setting (and oh, what a setting it is!) means that we begin to feel the same sense of claustrophobia and being trapped that all four of these beautiful characters certainly feel.

Kudos, to the director. Kudos to all four of the leads -- honesty in acting will always pay off. Kudos to the music. Kudos to whoever art-directed that house / cabin / double-wide. This is another of those indie feature films which is what REAL independent films are all about... film festival acceptance, some well-deserved awards, and sadly, a work which most will never have the opportunity to see at all, simply because it was made outside the system.

Track this one down, and see it.