Outside In

Good story, good acting, good cinematography... The score didn't catch my attention, but I guess it must have been decent. Loved the different relationships between characters. Also Kaitlyn Dever is so adorable! She brings a smile on my face every time I see her on screen.

Director: Lynn Shelton and writers: Jay Duplass & Lynn Shelton have created a story that goes straight to the heart & soul. Beautifully scripted, filmed, and acted "Outside In" is one of those unforgettable stories that puts tears in your eyes but a sense of hope and joy in your heart.

Jay Duplass plays 'Chris' an ex-con who comes home after 20 years in jail. We know his readjustment to everyday life will be challenging for him but too his luck there are people there who do not want to judge him for a long past crime. Love and friendship finds it's way back into his life but this brings alot of troublesome baggage with it. Chis just wants to do whats right!

This is a beautifully made film and the Duplass brothers have another star in their crown. I truly hope this movie gets the public attention it so deserves. Seek it out and watch it!

There's a strange quality to Outside In that made me feel like I was watching a movie I've seen before. There's a particular style to indie character dramas like this one that can start to feel familiar and unoriginal. I can't point to a specific movie I've seen about a man who gets released from prison and wants to date an older woman who helped him get out, but I always felt like I was 3 steps ahead of the story in this movie. They telegraph things early, and don't really deviate from the expected narrative. Honestly, I was much more intrigued by the relationship between the main character and the young girl, because that had more nuance to it. I liked the idea of a guy who was incarcerated at a young age finding that he relates more to young people when he gets out. There are some awkward moments that I didn't enjoy, but otherwise the story was just fine. The acting was decent, and the characters were somewhat compelling. It's one of the most average movies I can remember watching in recent memory. I wasn't bored by it, but I also wasn't enthralled by it. I wanted to see how the story would end, but I also don't know if I'll remember how it ended within a few months. It's the kind of movie that will fade from my memory and get mixed in with the large number of other bland character dramas I've seen throughout my life. Outside In even has a forgettable title.

The story is focused on Chris, a likeable guy in his late 30's who has just been released from prison after a 20 year stint. He was jailed for a crime he didn't commit and his early release is down to his former school teacher Carol who has spent practically the last 20 years supporting and working on his case to prove his innocence. Carol is much older than Chris and their time together has created a bond. Carol is married and has a daughter. Carol's marriage and home life is problematic, not helped by the amount of time she has spent fighting Chris's case in addition to her regular teaching job. That's the background to the movie but the real joy is seeing how Chris integrates back into small town life in Granite Falls, Washington State. His relationships with those around him. The stigma associated with his imprisonment His innocence attracting the attention of potential lovers. Then there's that bond between Chris and Carol and where that might lead. There's a lot of love and thought gone into the story. The 2 lead characters are superbly cast and absolutely carry the movie. I was very impressed with the camera work. Some really nicely composed shots and direction that helped to portray the atmosphere without being 'in your face different' My rating 8/10 Highly recommended if you like a good drama

The more I think about Lynn Shelton being gone, the more it's a punch in the gut. Outside In is yet another simply told story about people who are just fully themselves in all their vulnerable and warm and sometimes very troubled ways. This is filmmaking where you barely feel a false note, because you can feel the person behind the camera is intimately connected with her subjects. It's like Cassavetes if it was... calmer. This is a film with such compassion without ever going out of its way to go for the easy emotions. Jay Duplass quietly makes a powerhouse performance being so natural we don't see any acting. And Edie Falco is given a splendid, conflicted person who knows her heart is in one place and not the other. It's a film about what it means to have a family in the starkest sense.