Falling Uphill

A simple story with interesting and likable characters. No dirty jokes or nudity. Just a story about a young man running out of money and having to leave San Francisco and return to his hometown in New York. For the past year he has rented out a room to a young woman to help make ends meet. As he is about to leave he realizes he really cares about the roommate but she already has a boyfriend with a decent job.

Another woman is delivering a package to his boss, a poet, and enters his life in a different way. She almost steals the film.

I expect the talent in this movie will appear in future films. Good indie band soundtrack too.

Robert (Ari Kanamori) is an affable fellow living in San Francisco. Jenny (Jena Hunt) is his new roommate. After a year together, he doesn't have the money and has to move back in with his parents in Rochester NY. Jenny's relationship with her jealous boyfriend is deteriorating. Robert's developed feelings for her that he has trouble expressing.

Sara (Jessiqa Pace) is the quintessential Manic Pixie Dream Girl dropped into the story to be his cupid for Jenny. She exudes manic energy which is perfect for the role. The only problem is that she looks like Jena Hunt which causes confusion at first. Ari is too stiff as an actor. The movie needs a more emotive lead. The ending is a cop out. The movie is only 83 minutes. They could easily extend it for another 10 minutes to resolve the situation properly.

There is something about this movie that just doesn't work. And I think it is found in the characters. Not so much the story.

The plot is easy to follow - Robert finds Jenny, Jenny falls for another guy, Robert is too shy to tell Jenny he loves her. Enter the mystery girl Sara who brings Robert out of his shell to confess his 'feelings for Jenny' on the eve he must move back to the east coast. Then at end of movie Sara turns out to have her own multiple level story.

For me I found the characters unbelievable and the Sara/Robert San Francisco adventure a bit pointless. Their 'getting about' and angry moments are just stretched out too long and their constant clashing and making up forced and hollow. Then you get the bombshell in the last 8 minutes.

It just didn't make sense and I'm wondering how good this story could be even if just reedited.