The Flats

It's nice that the characters are interesting and that the entire cast is very good. And it's nice that I did enjoy watching this film. It's photographed beautifully, and the music is very original. But the thing that gets me is how poignant the underlying story is. It's tough for a lot of people in this day and age to grow up and become a responsible adult - especially if the hurdles that life has set up in front of you are pretty high. Coming to terms with who we are, where we come from, and where we are going is very real for all of us, and this film examines what this is like for characters that I think everyone can relate to and care about. Bravo for allowing a good story to take place.

I'd heard a lot of good things about this film, but was still very reluctant to watch it. I feared it was gonna be yet another example of overrated "artistic" dribble that bored the living crap out of me. I figured there were better ways to waste a couple of hours of my life than sitting through yet another over-hyped (and achingly dull) indie film. Eventually, though, curiosity won out and I decided to give it a try. Much to my surprise, I found out pretty quickly that this is one indie flick that is definitely worthy of the hype!! After a somewhat slow start, The Flats evolves into a very moving film that manages to hold the interest of even an ADD-affected, action-junkie like me (which is no small feat!!). The sweet and simple story completely drew me in by mixing together dramatic moments that felt authentic and genuine with comedic moments that caught me off guard with their originality. It was refreshing to (finally) find an indie film that didn't feel contrived and avoided taking itself too seriously. After watching The Flats, I'm a lot more open-minded about giving these smaller films a try, and I'm looking forward to the next project from the Requa Bros. If The Flats is any indication, I think it's fair to say we can expect amazing things from this talented writing/directing team in the future...After all, anyone who introduces the "European Cross Grip" to the masses is definitely worth keeping an eye on!! :)

This film is incredibly well cast, well directed, and well shot.

The story is one we've seen before, but the scenery and characters have a style all their own. The main character of Harper is perfectly played by Chad Lindberg (The Fast and the Furious, October Sky, The Rookie). He gives a moving performance as a drunkin' showboat, who's made one too many mistakes. The understated performances by Sean Christensen, and Jade Herrera are a perfect balance to the over the top antics of Harper. The rest of the cast provide mostly comic relief, but do it with much more timing, and talent than the average indie. Once you get through the first third, the story starts to build momentum, and it doesn't let up, leading to a great finish. Look for this film, and check it out!

This rural tale of troubled teen boys trying to find a future in their small Northwest town avoids being sappy and trite but it never finds it's soul nor does it require the audience to care about the two lead. Harper has problems, often getting into trouble with the law and drinking too much. He comes home only to create problems with his friend Luke's life and relationship with his girlfriend. Unfortunately the story never creates enough dramatic tension between Luke and Harper. The Requa brothers do a good job capturing the juvenile behavior of teen males and Chad Lindberg is fun to watch, but nothing interesting is going on beyond jokes in the bathroom and rants at diners and parties. One scene even forces some bad philosophy on the audience via a card game at the local hangout house. I don't know of any teens who hang out and play cards when they could be partying and drinking. The cinematography and the soundtrack are feature-worthy but the story needed a lot more work to interest an audience beyond the local crowd.

There is all this hype about reality TV and then we go to the movies to watch a drama and it just feels so forced, so fake. This film, which was done on a miniscule Brothers McMullen budget captures what it is to be young and in your twenties with such a force and passion that it is hard to believe it's the first feature from the Requa Bros. Anyone who gets the opportunity to watch this film will be waiting with bated breath to see what they do next, as well as what Chad Lindberg does. His performance is pacino. His performance is mcqueen.