The Hi-Line

the Hi-Line is a small simple narrative of two damaged souls caught up in a delicate dance of approach and avoidance in an original love story. Set against the bleak, wintry backdrop of a small town in northern Montana, this story is tender and truthful and completely unpredictable. The closing scene in the ballroom of Chicago's Drake Hotel is memorable, poetic and touching, a magic movie moment Rachel Leigh Cook and Ryan Alosio are wonderful.

Rachael Leigh Cook gives a wonderfully emotional performance in this little-seen independent film. However, her male counterpart does not do as well and the story moves much slower than needed. If not for Rachael's performance, it would be another run-of-the-mill, easily forgettable coming-of-age movie. The ending seems abrupt and there could be more explanation about what happens to these characters we come to understand relatively well in only 90 minutes. The DVD extras also give a very interesting insight into the making of a low-budget film by a first-time director. A commentary track would have been appreciated, but unfortunately was not done.

This is a very nice film, there are much better films, and there are much worse films. There's nothing edgy here, nothing remarkable, just a very solid slightly unusual film. If this had been a Hollywood film, everyone would hate it. But given the Indie look, feel, and budget it seems like a better film. Not a bad first effort for the director.

Rachel Leigh Cook really does carry this movie, she is an amazing actress. Ryan Alosio seems to be acting like Mark Ruffalo too much. In fact Ruffalo would have been a better casting choice. The small homages here and there are nice touches. Sadly Rachel's character seems much older than she is, and Alosio seems much younger. The idea that he is an older man from the big city, just doesn't play here at all.

Two other things carry this film - Montana filming and the music. The outdoor cinematography is very good, Montana looks great here. The music is fantastic. I wish Ron Judkins, sound man on so many other films, had gotten the mix right - the music is so much louder and bass heavy compared to the dialog. Sad miss on his part.

Finally - this is no family film. PG is a total misnomer. I'm not sure I'd show this to anyone under 13, the subject matter, some of the language. I wish Mr. Judkins had just given in and made a better film at PG-13 or R rated.

This film is a beautiful gem about interiority and emotional landscapes. The cinematography is gorgeous -- all whites and vast openness, but not boring. Ron Judkins, the director, is daring and courageous to make a film this thoughtful and quiet. Seems like a lot of European films. Too bad that we don't support such filmmaking on our own soil. This movie should have been picked up by a big studio. I hope Judkins makes more films.

"The Hi-Line" is an intelligently crafted, austere, minimalistic drama which tells of a 20 year old woman who encounters a somewhat older man who helps her discover secrets of her past. Shot in shiveringly cold, bleak, and wintery Big Sky country with a small cast, "The Hi-Line" focuses on the Alosio and Cook characters as it trudges through its simple tale of a mismatched pair of self-deprecating people who find common ground in their humanness. Sans all the hype and glitz of Hollywood products, this little sleeper will appeal most to realists.