Orchids

I saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and it's a very rich and beautiful looking film from director/writer Bryce Dallas Howard. Howard, co wrote the story with Dane Charbeneau about a young and beautiful but reluctant photographer named Beatrice (Katherine Watterson) who on a whim, answers an ad she finds in a crumpled newspaper from a man looking for a female companion. Veteran Actor Alfred Molina plays Cliff. Watterson is the daughter of actor Sam Watterson. Howard is the daughter of director Ron Howard and is known for her on screen roles as an actress but this is her debut as a director and she has put together a great short. The film is produced by Glamour Magazine's Short Film Series and was inspired by a story from magazine reader Elizabeth Schemmer. Jeanne Lipsey is the film's cinematographer and Tessa Davis the editor. Scott Hardkiss wrote the music score. Veteran sound editor Anthony J. Ciccolini lends his expertise to the crew of young filmmakers. All-around this is a very good film and I would give it a 9.0 out of 10.

This movie was very Fellini-like and had a beautiful, sweet and stunning ending. Bryce is very gifted needless to say. It was the best of the Glamour Magazine winners movies. Alfred Molina and Katherine Wasserman were equally great. Katherine is ethereal in the movie. The lighting and scenes were captivating. The movie left one guessing throughout it how it would end up. It could easily have been a thriller but instead ended up into a beautiful love story. The story line was about a women who answered a personal ad and took a chance. She met the man of her dreams but not without hiccups in the beginning. Ultimaely they overcome their fears and walk out into the future together. It was stunning.