Upstate Story

Embracing a long lost medium in the form of Mini -DV, Shaun has created something so thought filled and deep. It's not a film for everyone, as some rare point ratings show, but the majority of so many viewers out there in the world will easily be able to connect with the plight of the central character, Ellis Martin. An everyman struggling through the grind of a work week, anticipating a break from the dread. For what? It's a delightful surprise. His humor is blunt as we hear his thoughts throughout the film. He provides commentary on almost every aspect of his routine. The commentary is delivered with a nice, dry and sarcastic tone. The scenario and voice over writing are definitely the strongest points of the film. Visually speaking, the film is rough due to the old medium used for its making. Somehow, it's easily acceptable due to the nature of the story. I'll have to give strong point to the film composer as well, Jacob Veitch. His tunes nicely run parallel to the rhythm of the film. At times, a nice mix of jazz with a splash of metal/hard rock. Great job to all involved! I look forward to seeing more.

SPOILER: Look, It doesn't take long to realize that while dated visually, There's something there. There's a reason people respond to it so well and think of it so highly. Upstate Story delivers a message that we are all familiar with in a way and I think that is the driving force behind it.

But, and I still stand firm on this point, I disagree with the ending. The character steps into his home after finishing the work week and we are transported to the magically land of color where we get to meet...his children. It genuinely threw me through a loop. While I understand it as a kind of saving grace after the mundane work week, There was just no set up for it. Not a single piece of dialogue used to even hint at it and that is where I dock points, good sir.

The no-budget field of indie filmmaking is a wildly vast and varied field. Horror is typically filled with cliched jump scares, comedy that is largely inconsistent and dramas that lack character. This is quite different. It's heavy at times and obviously intentional. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The handling of the weekly grind is done exceptionally well considering the budget. The gritty photography works well to compliment the overall pessimistic feel of the story. The dialogue for the internal monologue of the central character (Ellis) feels natural and quite consistent with how so many of us feel throughout our lives. To top all of this off, we have an equally impressive, but highly unorthodox score that matches the overall feel of the film. Quite relatable and beyond that, it's even more impressive considering the means and limited crew which were used.

There's a lot more here than the money used to make it shows. Helmed by Shaun Rose, who also acted, wrote, edited, and photographed the film, it's quite a stellar little project. So often while watching it with my wife we found ourselves commenting on how much we both connected with it. The mix of color styles within the film give it a nice and varied appearance. Highly recommened to anyone into no- Bridget filmmaking or those looking to think and connect. The music is nice too.

On the main page for this film, someone made the broad opinion and without a spoiler warning, that this film made no sense due to certain events taking place. I feel that the surprise was quite fitting. I feel it was meant to be a twist of sorts. Was he going to live it up with friends? Potential suicide? Murder? When it comes... it's very real. No seeing of dead people. No shower scene. No forced narrative shock. The unexpected flow of this project is what makes it so unique. After a 2nd viewing, visual hints are there. The voice over writing was really quite good. The delivery even better. Recommended to those looking to inspire no-budge creators and those looking ro pursue more immediate filmmaking. Greetings from Russia!