Rideshare

We saw this at the Buffalo-Niagara Film Festival and we fell in love with Lemonade, the beautiful Asian sprite who joins two middle-aged strangers in a cross-country trek to deliver a car to Washington DC. Many of your typical conventions are present. Each character has a back story that takes more or less time to evolve, each has some annoying peccadillo(s) that irritates the others, and there are the unexpected detours -- some literal, some metaphorical -- that interrupt their progress. The result, however, isn't trite, but engaging.

If the story itself isn't enough though, the knowledge that the entire movie was recorded digitally on Apple (R) iPhone 4's makes it worth a view. The clarity was impressive, the transitions fairly smooth. The rougher transitions reminded me of Kevin Smith's first effort, Clerks.

Film students will go for the novelty but leave with an appreciation of the total package. Film lovers should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

This movie may be considered a novelty for the iPhone angle, but as I watched it I quickly forgot about the iPhone and just enjoyed the story. I would call it a quirky comedy, with lots of funny moments, and a few plot twists that keep the story interesting and believable. For being shot on an iPhone the camera work and editing are great, and the flow of the movie is very natural. Narisa Suzuki steals the show as the very likable and charismatic Lemonade, a part that, if not written for her, sure seems to be. The other characters are also well written and believable, if not quite as likable. The movie seems to go by very quickly, with no lulls or slowness. All in all a very worthwhile film that should get producer/director Donovan Cook a shot at the next level.