Young Lion of the West

Aaron Sorkin said about writing that his greatest screenplays are based off a simple series of "if/then" statements. To put it simply, cause and effect. Applying this same logic to any film script is a simple formula to create the drama we all know and love to watch on the big (and more so little in today's age) screen.

Reality TV star Joey Sasso is on display, in more ways than one, in his freshman effort "Young Lion of the West." It is absurdly ambitious, as Sasso conceptualized, wrote, assisted in directing, and starred. This is as "indie" as an indie film gets. A micro budget, micro crew, local actors, all leading to what can only be applauded as a tremendous effort by all involved. Sasso deserves an immense amount of praise and appreciation for what he was able to accomplish on what is essentially a student film. Sasso also displays the acting talent of someone who could potentially reach beyond "loud annoying frat boy" type casting. His range is currently limited to the occasional scowl and the stereotypical single cheek tear, but the talent and passion is there and it's evident. Sadly, ambition takes you only so far, and this is where the praise ends.

Young Lion is a thematic catastrophe. A literal mess of disjointed plot lines that don't resolve and sudden out of the blue curve balls that seem as though they could've been twists in a more competent screenplay but here they fall flat as the ramblings of someone who didn't know the theme they wanted to portray. Theme is the key to story, and for the life of me I couldn't tell you what the theme of this film is. Is it greed? Perhaps, but we drop that in favor of addiction. Is it addiction? Perhaps, but we lose that theme in favor of cheap "crime drama" thrills. Unfortunately I believe that the theme here is that there isn't a theme, more so a hodgepodge of hundreds of different ideas that never formed a collective.

I can't help but wonder if the film was purposely written in the often overused avant garde style of European films where the story is that there isn't a story. The pandering non sense of a first year California film school student who's so proud of the fact that they made a "movie" when in reality they haven't expressed any idea outside of their own pompous thoughts that they MADE something. On the flip side is this movie not as artsy as all that and in turn is just a mess because Sasso, while proving to be a solid screen presence, just isn't a writer? Not every actor is a writer/director, and that's fine.

Young Lion pans out to be nothing but a jumble of other ideas that simply never form a cohesive story. If it is attempting to be an edgy art house flick in the vein of famous avant garde European filmmakers from the 70s and 80s, it fails at visually compelling the viewer. If it's attempting to be brutal crime thriller about the consequences of greed, it fails to grip the viewer enough to make them feel the consequences of the seemingly random and nonsensical violence. If this is simply trying to be a character piece about one man's journey through life it fails there too because the characters don't display any sort of linear motivation or arcs. Sudden domestic violence motivated by out of the blue racism isn't an edgy filmmaking choice, it's lazy screenwriting to transition into an absolutely meandering third act.

If screenwriting boils down to a series of if/thens, I can't make heads of tails of the cause and effect that creates the dramatic tension in Young Lion of the West. In a more gifted filmmakers hands, there's a story to be told here, as it stands, Sasso falls flat when trying to juggle too many balls at once. I'd be happy to see Mr. Sasso attempt to commit himself strictly to acting, perfect his craft, and IF he has a story to tell later down the road, THEN he can write a better sophomore effort. However, IF there's no story to be told, THEN you end up with a messy, pointless, meandering film like Young Lion of the West.

A solid film through and through: great writing, story, characters, dialogue, acting, music, etc. The grittiness and high tension were perfectly balanced with both genuinely funny and soulful moments.

I really appreciated how the story deviated from the typical story arch and unfolded in a unique way that still held my interest. Too often indie films fail by trying to reinvent the wheel or by sticking to something predictable ...but this felt fresh, like the film could go anywhere and I was down for the ride. It's nice to find films like this which show how formulaic Hollywood can sometimes be. This one feels different. It's a wild ride. But in a good way. I was completely engrossed until the very end.

Definitely a must see this movie blew me away between the storyline the characters and the acting just wow I'm so proud of Joey and Josh this is something you won't want to rent you will want to own it! I'm so happy I did and I have watch this movie 6 times and counting I appreciate films and music so much and as a photographer/videographer I truly appreciate and admire the hard work and dedication that went into this this is definitely one you can watch multiple times you will laugh you will cry and you will be thinking wow that's so intense crazy and relatable! Thank you to everyone who helped made this film happen I definitely appreciate you all! So why you still reading these reviews go watch it!

This movie is so raw and so real. So much respect is deserved by the small group of dreamers who built this entire result on very little more than a camera, an idea, and a vision.

Admirable dedication shines through without question; from the phenomenal acting of the entire cast, to full-fledged commitment to even the smallest details in a plot that evolves act to act in ways you'll never see coming.

If you've only ever seen Joey Sasso shouting at screens or competing for love on reality tv, you have no idea what you're in for with this one. Turns out the guy who pees in showers can actually act... who knew?

Absolutely worth the watch.

Being a big fan of Joey on The Circle and having been born and raised in Rochester, NY, I knew I had to give this movie a shot and I'm so glad that I did. This movie evoked many emotions and was "deeper" than I originally thought it might be. The acting was well done, it kept me on the edge of my seat and surpassed my expectations. It didn't end with a pretty pink bow which I usually always root for, but was great none-the-less. I loved the representation of Rochester, NY-it was fun to see places that I've grown up with in the movie. I would never have expected this movie to be as good as it was with the budget they had. I highly recommend this movie!