Low Low

I tried to watch it but I don't think I made it halfway. I didn't check reviews or watch the trailer before watching. That was my big mistake. Because the trailer is kind of horrible and I would never have made the mistake of wasting time on this.

It's like one of those Lifetime movies that pretend to be "ripped from the headlines". Faux social commentary at it's worst. Pretending to be about disadvantaged young women but everybody is pretty and clean and kinda fashionable. The acting is bad. Writing and direction are horrible. Costumes and set decoration are unconvincing at best. Honestly can't think of anything that was worth commending.

So my simple recommendation is this: Watch the trailer. If that doesn't make you want to hurl then there is at least a chance you will enjoy it. If you actually like the trailer then there is also a chance you will enjoy it. Maybe even a good chance.

I wish I had watched the trailer before watching this. I also wish I had that 40 or so minutes back cuz life is too short to watch 3/10 movies.

I had the good fortune to see this movie over the Labor Day weekend and attend a Q&A with the director after the show. I have no connection to any of the film makers or actors, so this is a review from a regular movie-goer, albeit one who does prefer indy films. If you have a chance to see this movie, either in the theater or through a purchase, it would be well worth your time and money. It is a lovely movie about four good friends in a pivot point between their high school years and what lies beyond. The film deftly explores how hard it is to stay in a hometown and a life, and how hard it can be to leave. In those scenes, I found myself comparing the film favorably to the 2017 film "Columbus" as both explore what it is like for young women to make decisions that remove them from caring for friends and family. What impressed me about "Low Low" was the depiction of how women care for each other and how they express that care through their actions. It is also a beautiful film, at times, to just sit an watch, reminding me of "Tangerine" in its cinematography. It is likely one I will seek out and see again.

Low Low is much better than the few reviews led me to believe. It is well crafted in terms of writing and production values. The casting is fantastic and the four main characters have a very gritty, realistic connection. The story line is both small and giant in it's scope - small due to the containment of the action and time frame and giant in it's transformational process. There are devastating moments and there is light and hope. As someone who knows that hitting bottom - a low low - is often the only way to claw one's way back up to a better place, this film hits the mark. Kudos to the writer/director, cast and crew!

Wasn't sure what to expect as I didn't know any of the actors in this movie but it's was really good! It really surprised me and I wouldn't be surprised of this movie blows up!

Street smart, uncompromising, sexy, bitter, funny, feminist and beyond all else, raw, Low Low is an indie film that strives to say so much, often through nothing but subtext and casual banter alone. It's a beautiful and honest piece that depicts the rough slice of life four woman have carved out for themselves in a tired, suburban world, managing to do so with genuine finesse. Patient writing and gut wrenching performances from all the leading women (special mentions go to Ali Richey and Kacie Rogers) help lure the viewer into the story and get them thoroughly invested in the nuanced conflicts that threaten to tear any happiness these girls have found clean in two. It's not a perfect film per se, and it doesn't intend to be. It's messy, it has cracks, it's dirty... just like the lives of its four leads, and these "imperfections" ultimately yield truth and empathy that so many indie films today genuinely lack. It isn't an easy watch, for the girls have a tough go of it throughout, but that's life, and that's what I appreciated the most. This movie is a breath of fresh air, and even if it's cold, biting air that comes along in the dead of winter and stings just a bit, it's hugely refreshing nonetheless.