Transatlantic Coffee

Erik Peter Carlson's "Transatlantic Coffee" is anything but your typical boy-meets-girl story. Alex (Kevin Pinassi), the guy in this tragicomic love story set in post-9/11 New York, is a middle-aged Brooklynite who's seemingly got some major problems. Life improves big time when he hooks up with Mandie (the delectable Rachel Marie Lewis), a teen-aged stripper from London. The results are thought-provoking and anything but predictable. This highly polished effort reveals a filmmaker and a young actress of some promise, and it's no surprise to me the film is being well-received on the festival circuit. Unlike so many films out there, it's fresh and original, and doesn't play like a rehash of something you've seen before.

This is supposed to be a character driven movie, but the main character seems too twitchy and bizarre to relate to at times. Pinassi plays a man-child called Alex that falls for a teen girl from London. Alex is a loser with no life, which SHOULD make us all relate to him on some level.

Overall, this is not a Hollywood cookie-cutter movie, which is the exciting part. It does many times have really sincere and personal moments that are very enjoyable. The ending offers a huge impact. I give the film some credit for being different and original with some scenes of fantastic performances and direction.

This is a different kind of film than most big dramas, and is likely to be remembered as the director's quiet, breakthrough indie film that is more widely appreciated as the years go on, and his work is more widely recognized. . But if anything, it is a powerful demonstration of true range, and a hint at the great works that are yet in his future.

Kevin Pinassi is quite good when he's within his element though, really shines when he interacts with costar Rachel Marie Lewis or when he is left to be the focus on screen, which occurs multiple times in the film. Marcel Torres, who plays the best friend, does an OK job being the comic relief, however it never feels forced, which is a breath of fresh air.

Carlson has taken the extraordinary risk of handcrafting a film specifically to showcase the unique talent of his cast, revolving it around characters that absolutely no one else could pull off. The risk has paid off marvelously. This film extracts the best performances of any indie film I've seen in recent time, while drawing us in with an odd - and oddly touching - romantic tragedy. A delight to watch.

Watched this film on Prescreem.com the other night after hearing about it from a Twitter friend. I usually don't do reviewes on movies but I thought this film deserves to be heard.

In an American market of highly commercial, audience appealing pictures with typical subject matters, special effects and bland characters (just look at today's movie listings) this film takes all of that and flushes it. It's obvious that the filmmakers had a vision and went with it, not worrying about what the American public is familiar with. This film is something to be experienced and I mean that.

As the film starts, you'll notice the unique way the story will be told, with it's long takes, allowing the actors on screen to become real. The writing is deep and has so many moments of "Wow, that is so true". The actors in the film, Kevin Pinassi and Rachel Marie Lewis, whom I have never seen before on screen. do a tremendous job. They are fearless in their approach.

As other reviews mentioned on this page, the music and visuals are something you usually don't see in a low budget movie. Everything down to the costumes and the setting of the main character's apartment are so real, you feel you've been living there yourself by the end of the movie.

The direction and writing of the movie is very well done. The ending, although a great surprise to me, may have others catching on somewhat early in the film, but the way the story is told, the way it's designed as a whole, simply convinces you that these are real people, in a real world, experiencing real subject matters. I give this credit to the director, Erik Peter Carlson and the producers who have accomplished something that proves that independent film is something you need to be involved in, for no other reason than to realize that there is much more than special effects in cinema.

The movie is very intense with scenes that make you shiver, for many reasons. However, I never feel it's done in bad taste, but to bring you into the moment and into the lives of these characters, mostly the main character.

To conclude; it's an extremely well done movie that has all of the elements any great movie should contain; a great story, compelling characters, it stimulates many emotions, has the compelling "wow" factor and forces you to watch it again. Great job.

In this exploration of profound loneliness and loss, Erik Peter Carlson miraculously has made a life-affirming, even inspiring film. Seamless camera work, gorgeous art direction/cinematography and truly challenging scenes help to bring us deep into the mind of an eccentric man who chooses an eccentric way to heal from his extraordinary trauma. Carlson has made a movie that subtly captures the essence of what we all love about cinema...that singular carnival ride that transports us into someone else's life experience.

My name is Randy Becker and I run NexTV Entertainment. We get thousands of submissions each year from emerging artists trying to make a mark on the list of significant industry players that we bring to our panels. TRANSATLANTIC COFFEE stands out not just because of the cohesive and compelling aesthetic or the challenging and topical subject matter, but because, at its core, it tells us a great story...one well worth experiencing.

-Randy Becker NexTV Entertainment