Reign

I recently viewed this powerful short via IndieFlix. Incredible. The raw emotion conveyed in 17 minutes, particularly by the two leads, Sheetal Sheth and Andrew Fognani, is outstanding and incredibly moving.

I could never begin to imagine the reality of war and the horrors that civilians and active duty, or veteran military personnel, undergo on a daily basis. Nor could I ever imagine the pain and agony felt on an emotional and physical level, by those affected by war on a daily basis.

Reign touches upon these tragic themes and those universal conflicts inherent in war. We see Fadwa, a civilian (played by the incredibly versatile actress Sheetal Sheth) become so deeply distraught, vulnerable and incredibly lost and heartbroken. We see Delano, an American soldier (played by the talented Andrew Fognani) face a personal crisis with a choice he's made that changes his life, forever.

This film and these actors tell a most tragic story with such depth and intensity, I felt as though I journeyed with them to a very dark place- a place no one should have to journey to. But they do. And the realities of this place are horrific.

Excellent direction and execution Ms. Jentzen and kudos to you and all for creating this poignant, exceptional short. A must see!

When I saw the trailer for this short I couldn't wait to watch it. What a poignant and powerful film packed into 17 minutes. The impact of the emotions I felt watching the film didn't quite hit me as hard until a few minutes after it was over. With these shorts you can have the prettiest set and the best equipment and actors etc. but if the content is not there the message never gets to the audience which was not the case with Reign. The film was beautifully shot and the writer Kimberly Jentzen not only provided a powerful script but directed the film as well. One of the main characters played by Sheetal Sheth, in my opinion was the foundation of the film. She gave a powerful not overstated but subtle heartfelt performance. Overall the film did a good job of conveying the conflicts of war and the conflicts of war within ourselves in respect to the choices we make. As a veteran thankfully I was never in that position or conflict but I do understand what it's like to put that uniform on and the responsibility and pride that go with it. Fantastic work by the filmmaker and the entire cast for all your hard work and for tackling such a heartbreaking topic.

REIGN is a quite humanesque movie, both thematically and tonally. It cares deeply for its characters and the narrative. It's affective. It's profound. A short. And heavenly powerful.

In a pleiad of conventional war movies with good guys versus bad guys, with two extremes and nothing else; this one feels so real and touches upon the humanistic questions. There's no heroes or villains; it wasn't one person was right, one was wrong. Writer/director Kimberly Jentzen sees both of her main characters as a (human) victims of war. And perfectly shows us how helpless they are. Have a closer look at them.

Soldier Delano (Andrew Fognani) is facing a struggle between duty and humanity. With no physical wounds, he is a victim of the war. Fadwa (Sheetal Sheth), a victim herself, is the soldier's unseen scar of the war.

Great acting made it a pleasure for me to watch. to feel. to Hear the movie. Andrew Fognani and Sheetal Sheth were impressive here. Sheetal Sheth made me forget Sheetal Sheth the Actress and see her only as Fadwa whom she portrayed with uncanny perfection and 'raised' her from the soul. She speaks very little, but her gaze and facial expression says it all. Look at her face and eyes and nose or whatever — completely transformed. Fantastic. Try not to be touched by Fadwa. Try not to feel that dose of helplessness which Andrew Fognani perfectly brings to his character.

The supporting cast is excellent, as is editing and the cinematography by amazing (Oscar nominated) Jack Green.

What I really liked about the film is the fact that the director did not endeavor to trivialize and to convey the emotions of the characters with unnecessary explaining or through flooding with excessive dialogues. We have wordless scenes with a very strong emotional charge, primarily due to the excellent acting, great camera work, the use of color and the light, and perfect soundtrack. Susan Marder's music is fabulous. Viola, cello... She seems to simply know which sequence of notes will produce certain emotions.

Overall: excellent, sensitive and thoughtful. REIGN depicts war as something that harms all involved in and reminds us how all we are connected to each other as human beings. That is what reigns.

I was fortunate enough to see it at IndieFlix.

Highly recommended