Into the Fire

A lot of the comments here about this movie seem to be of confusion. A second viewing should be attempted with other movie fans. That's how I viewed it. The movie requires some hand holding to fill in the blanks, that's the beauty of it. I don't know if that was a deliberate intention by the film maker, but I would like to think so. I know most like to have a movie played out before them without any effort to think needed, this movie is definitely not that kind of flix. Just reading some comments I can tell some have missed scenes or dialog. June was not just found because of low sugar levels. She has her own demons...a re-viewing my see them. Their relationship has very little to do with her son, but a need for a mother and a need for a son at a perfect intersection of lives. I believe everything you need to fill in the blanks are in the film. Sitting back and letting the story unfold before you in an simplistic straight forward time-line is not going to happen, a little effort on the viewers behalf is needed. I believe this is the intention of the film maker....BRAVO! to him

This was a most difficult story to understand and even after watching it twice I still didn't understand it. It was like an inside joke known only to those making the movie. For example the hero, who is a police lieutenant, gets into trouble but viewers are never told what he got into trouble for. This is a problem from beginning to the end. The ending just leaves the viewer hanging. There is a story which if properly told, could make for a good movie, but that wasn't case here. Part of the problem is that frequently the dialog is poorly written and the actors and actresses frequently mumble their lines which makes the story even harder to understand.

Still blaming himself for the deaths of his sister and mother decades ago, lieutenant Walter Harwig (Flanery) of the NYC harbor unit, is encased in a life of sadness. While on duty investigating a plane crash, Harwig breaks down after discovering a dead body of a woman, and as a result is dismissed from duty. Now having lost the only thing with meaning in his life and being consumed by deep, abiding depression, Harwig will by fate meet two other individuals (Williams and Kanakaredes) whose lives are also rooted with misfortune. Together they will learn that the true meaning of life lies not in tragedy but in celebration.

The premise is real and story is believable and moving. There was a quote that stuck with me after the film was over. It was about living a life of celebration because it's the balance of living a life of tragedy on the same spectrum. Most of the themes in the movie revolve around similar issues, including reincarnation. Though, at times the story is slow and the conflict is confusing. I wasn't sure if this was a story about love or self-forgiveness until well into the second act. However, the cast is exceptional. Portraying the antagonist and protagonist, Sean Patrick Flanery's (Powder) performance was true, honest, engaging and his best work to date. Both Melina Kanakareses (CSI: NY) and JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist) supported Flannery and excelled the dramatic themes.

Aesthetics. Well done. Portrayed mostly hand-held, 'documentary style', its photography and production design are up to par with most of today's Hollywood pictures. The film was shot on 35mm with sharp color contrasts and at locations across New York City and Coney Island. The musical score is original and adds drama to the film without distracting the viewer from the story.

Review by, Darren R. Brandl

Very sad story about Aundria but, I could not watch the character of her biological mother when she spoke. She had this righteous way about her that hard to watch. I muted her each time she talked.

The overall story was very upsetting about the horrible tragedies of the woman and felt so sad for Kathleen's Aunt. Her emotions were genuine with real emotions but, Aundria's biological mother's reactions and pompousness were the reason for the low rating. Too bad there wasn't a way to minimize her role in the movie or coach her to sound genuinely sad for her daughter. That guy will never see the light of day without bars to see through!

Into the Fire is one of the best films about mourning that I've ever seen. I won't tell what causes Walter's (Flanery) grief, though the actual event isn't as central to the film as its devastating effect on him. Films are called "haunting" all the time, but here the word fits perfectly. There's a dreamlike quality to the movie that may be confusing at first, or seem like arty self-indulgence. But I think I found its purpose. Walter is in many ways a ghost in his own world. His pain and guilt are keeping him from performing his job, from building close relationships, from living his life. Everything changes after a plane crash, and once June (Williams) and Catrina (Kanakaredes) enter his life. Walter latches onto the older, wiser June, for reasons never really stated but obvious given Williams' warmth in the role. June turns into both a confidante and the one person who finally challenges Walter to confront what he'd spent so long trying to suppress. The two actors have a great chemistry, and their scenes together are the film's best.

It all sounds kind of heady, and it is. I would say that Into the Fire isn't for everyone, but I really think it IS for everyone. It's an increasingly rare film that gets its drama not from plot devices, but simply from the characters' hearts and minds, from their words and their tears. In the end, it's cathartic. And coming away, I felt like I'd learned something about what it is to be human: The way our regrets can imprison us if we let them. And the way our minds can sometimes trick our hearts into believing something that isn't really true at all.