All the Days Before Tomorrow

I got to see the film on DVD as it was never released on screens in Kuala Lumpur where I live or at least I did not hear about it. It was absolutely one of the best films one could ever wish for if they were into films with a straight story whose taste will be with you like forever.

Throughout the film and almost in every scene I had this weird feeling that I have been to those places before or at least once have had a dream like that, especially in the club scene with the mind-boggling music in the air. It really blew me away.

The acting was just awesome as the two were showing their true characters and had nothing to hide from one another. Alison, a naughty girl with all that energy, had come cross the young Wes who seemed to have nothing in common with her at first but as the story went on, they were so incredibly bound together that you could clearly see the effect of this simple but strong connection between them in their life...

Wes was talking about the transfer of energy in some scene in the film while Alison had no clue what it was like but the film showed this movement of energy so well between the characters. I had never seen a movie like this making me wish for such moments as every scene was telling the story of a dream...

I believe movies like "All the days before tomorrow" are created once in a lifetime and I strongly believe we need more of this type to show the great power of true joy and happiness and I think happiness was well- defined in every second of this movie...

Great story , music and pictures . Fun to watch , fine humor , telling something about life we all experience . Francois Dompierre did very well for his first movie . Will be fun to watch him over the next few years . He has something to say - what a change from all those boring ,stupid and violent movies on the market today - . Long life to that new writer-director !

The choice of music fits very well with the beauty of the images . That Gavin Kelly is very good also ...there are some great visual moments in that movie -Alison hand floating around outside the car (for example )- or the ways the beauty of the chosen location is presented .

Alexandra Holden is great and take the whole screen for herself sometime -full of life-. I have enjoyed that refreshing movie very much . I only wish we could see more movies like that ,unfortunatly they are exceptions ....maybe that is why we like them so much when we find them...

Nice first-time effort by Francois Dompierre . Kudos to him, actor Joey Kern , and Lindsey Davis , Art Director for staying after it's East Coast screening at the Stony Brook Film festival for the Q & A .

The frustrating , platonic "love story" was a little slow in developing , but tended to become more fleshed out as the movie wore on and the character's traits and aspects were revealed to us in the audience . The use of the dream sequences with Richard Roundtree , were somewhat vague , but did tend to lead into the next chapter or vignette .

The desert landscapes spoke volumes of the "relationship" between the two main characters Wes (Joey Kern) and Alison (Alexandra Holden) . Warm and enticing , yet empty and foreboding . This non-committal "dance" between the two directly echos many , many relationships in our modern , fast-paced materialistic world . (Many that i have personally encountered ,and with some of my friends) . Bravo to Francois to presenting this movie in such a way, yet leaving the "possibilties" open for something more substantial in the future .

The acting was top - notch , as they lead us on their journey's of evolving , maturing , and feeling out what "fits' in the present , and what might be a "best" fit .... for each one in the future . ( I can certainly see continued success for both Joey & Alexandra ) .

For the average film - goer , this film may be a bit tedious and frustrating ( as was evidenced in the crowd around me ) . I would recommend this more for an artsy , thinking , engaged viewing crowd , who recall having youth and time on their side , floating through modern life ...... before tomorrow ..... Life ... and the overhead theater's lights ... kick in !

During the Cinequest film festival in San Jose in March, the film I had intended to see had been cancelled and I was given a ticket to see "All the Days Before Tomorrow" instead. I am so glad for that cancellation because this film turned out to be better than I could have ever expected! I loved each moment as much as every other and I hoped it would never end. I returned to see it two more times during the festival and loved it more each time. The plot was engaging, innovative and flowed beautifully and confidently. Each scene followed the last with perfect timing and I was able to follow along even though the film was centered around one current time period and two flashback periods. That is how well the movie was done. Throughout three time sequences as well as intermittent dream scenes, I never once became lost.

One of my favorite aspects of the film was the dream scenes of a main character. I loved the way that each one made me feel that I was experiencing my own dream, flowing exactly as a person's subconscious thoughts do. They were hysterical and yet inspiring and philosophical at the same time, and in only a few minutes. The choice of Richard Roundtree for the "dream gatekeeper" was a perfect choice and brought the character to life. The inventive names for each sequence (as well as the idea to give them names) were humorous and very original. The scenes gave a nice interlude between the intense and realistic "real life" happenings, and the black and white film used gave a wonderful contrast to the main color scenes, making it seem as though they were really "coming to life" from the dream state. The unique sequences were subtly poetic and gave so much to the film. They made me laugh and added a beautiful shot of quirkiness and surrealism to a very human story without ever going over the top.

The way the movie's scenes were edited was masterful. For example, in one scene, a character is asked how she likes living in Tokyo, then it cuts to a scene of her sitting in a dim, uninviting room looking at things on a kitchen table, seeming very lonely and bored, then quickly returns to the conversation in which she replied something to say that she was lonely there. I felt like I was jumping into the characters' minds throughout the whole film, making everything seem real. Instead of giving the audience the entire background on the characters up front, the movie allowed you to discover their history slowly and in a way that made you always eager to know more. It was also amazing that the movie used so few characters yet had so much depth and richness to it. The script and plot were so high-quality that there was no need for extra characters to take up space and clutter the story. It was completely substantial with its core characters and events.

The script was one of the most incredible parts of the film. Every word had significance and was completely original—this was the opposite of most predictable, recycled B movies! The parts of the movie that were meant to be touching and emotional unfolded with words that carried every meaning that was intended and made me feel exactly what the character felt. Amazingly, the film could go from a profoundly meaningful scene to making me laugh the next second. The funny parts of the script were incredible, too. No stupid or boring jokes, but very original and subtle comedy that couldn't help but make you laugh and could appeal to any sense of humor. The script was one of the best parts of the film, and it is incredible that the film's director not only directed but wrote the outstanding screenplay as well.

The acting was great, too! The actors were perfect for their parts and acted them with great precision. They portrayed the characters wonderfully and brought out the unique facets of their personalities that made them so incredibly irresistible as characters. During the movie, I wished they were friends of mine, and after it, I felt like they were! The actors did a fabulous job and I have to give them credit for that. The main characters, Wes and Alison, also had fantastic chemistry; I felt every single emotion and thought between them. That takes talented actors and an amazing screenplay, both which were very present in the film.

Francois Dompierre made a remarkable first film. The texts are excellent, the photography, especially what was shot in the canyons, is beautiful, and the scenes with Richard Roundtree show the wacky sense of humor the director has.

The musical choices made by Dompierre are appropriate. The language of the songs always fit the mood of the scene they are used in.

It is obvious that with a bigger budget, Dompierre could make some real good work. This film only shows how he has been able to do much with so little.

To summarize: an excellent start for a talented director.