Somewhere in the Middle

I actually met Charles Miller and he told me about the movie. Pretty good movie. A few tweaks and I think they could have main streamed the movie. At first I thought the video was skipping as I streamed it from Amazon however it the the cinematography. The time lines shift showing glimpses of a scene and later tying in the full content which was pretty good. Good ending. Cast overall was pretty good, Charles Miller has talent, would like to see him take on other rolls.

The unraveling of the film was slow and plodding, we could see peaks and valleys but no crests. Nothing got resolved, ends with no conclusions. Perhaps that's the "style" the movie mimics but it provides no real satisfaction. At the end, I disliked all the main characters, not because of their shortcomings but because their stories came to an abrupt and unrequited end. It was hard to feel sympathy for any one of the leads or supporting roles. I never got the sense that Billie and Kofi really wanted, needed or were willing to work for their relationship, it felt like the, "meh" Sophia uttered after her and Kofi did the deed...was it meaningless or just a joke? It also had a genuinely disingenuious pretense running through the core...Kofi was belligerent and half-baked about his love for Billie, Sophia was desperate - did we ever believe that Kofi could be her saviour, or that Billie and her work colleague- love interest wasn't more than pure fantasy on the part of Billie? I never got the sense that any of these people really cared where their relationships might go or that they might end, except, of course, for Kofi who seemed hell-bent on saving a marriage that didn't matter. Weak story, decent acting considering the premise but could have lived without this story.

Somewhere in the Middle comes from a team of Brooklyn filmmakers led by Lanre Olabisi (whose last film August the First is streamable on Netflix) that successfully raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter in order to produce this film, a rare feat. Taking influence from the styles of Mike Leigh and other dialogue-driven directors, Olabisi manages to craft something that feels fresh and unique, and plays with our understanding of cinema in how we view individual scenes compared to how we view a complete movie.

For the first half of the film we are introduced to four protagonists in an unconventional manner, each of whom are intertwined with the others. First we meet Sophia (Marisol Miranda) in her therapist's waiting room where she meets Kofi (Charles Miller) and immediately develops a liking to him. After seeing her side of the story and how she views this meeting, we then see Kofi's perspective, and gain a better understanding of why he behaved the way he did. Anyone who has tried dating someone and felt like they didn't understand their behavior can relate to this scene. Rather than taking an omnipresent perspective, we view each vignette from a distinct point of view, then return to it from another perspective and have a completely different understanding of what happened. The result is an electrifying journey of love, deceit and evocative sexual tension. In a conventional film it is a given that the scenes play out in chronological order with nothing important in between, but in Somewhere in the Middle, information is often deliberately withheld until much later, resulting in a much more engaging and authentic experience. The closest structural companion that comes to my mind is Iñárritu's 21 Grams, which similarly is successful in telling a gripping non-linear story.

As I began to realize that the film took on the concept of 'everything is connected' I was apprehensive it would lead to a neatly wrapped coincidence-heavy conclusion, because at first it seems unlikely that the characters have any natural connection. However, as more information is revealed, it becomes clear that these characters have defined connections that aren't made clear until later in the runtime. You're never quite sure how it's all going to pan out.

Structurally, the centerpieces are the intense dialogue sequences most often between two of the given protagonists. In the beginning, the film diffuses some of the momentum by showing a large number of transition shots of characters going between places. However, once the story actually gets going, these transitions become fewer, and the character interactions start to define the film as a whole. Olabisi worked closely with all the actors to construct improvised pieces that feel authentic and motivate the story. The most dynamic character created is Billie (Inside Man's Cassandra Freeman), a powerhouse boss whose untamed love life causes most of the turbulence in the story. It is a rare treat to see a character with so much dimension who can be flawed without being unsympathetic. Billie is far from perfect yet her motivations are familiar to all. This is the type of character we love to follow, and the fact that she is a woman of color and has this much depth is unfortunately very rare in mainstream cinema, but as such, she is that much more exciting to watch.

You'll notice I have avoided speaking too directly about the specific events that happen in this film. Because of the twisting nature of the story lines, knowing less up front will produce a far richer movie-going experience. I congratulate the cast and crew for putting together such a vibrant drama, especially within the constraints of such a low budget. Somewhere in the Middle debuted at the Newport Beach Film Festival today at 5:15 pm. It will screen again Thursday April 30 at 7:30 pm. I strongly recommend you catch this film then! It is exactly the type of independent film that makes smaller film festivals so exciting to attend, and hopefully will find its way to larger release later on.

Cinemacy.com

This was a solid film all around. A cut above the standard relationship films. Solid acting, well photographed. What sets it apart is the nuanced script spoken and non spoken. Also, what was refreshing was the subtle take on the sexual dynamics. Nothing seemed forced. The film shows how relationships and really people's lives can turn on subtle manipulation and the slightest turn in how we deal with each other. I would highly recommend this film if interested in relationship type movies. If this is Chris Webber's first foray into features, making choices, decisions and getting involved with projects like these he will have success.

The pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of happiness are not the same; where one tends to be a solitary exploit, the other usually begs company. Unlike happiness, pleasure can become an addiction or an obsession. Such pleasure can be sought in a needle, in a bottle, or in the bed. The one night stand is the hallmark of the pursuit of pleasure while the 50- year marriage is the relationship goal we aspire to in our collective pursuit of "happily-ever- after." Most relationships fall somewhere in the middle, but what happens when they don't? What happens when one person is seeking pleasure and the other happiness?

"Somewhere in the Middle" explores this. It recognizes the difference between happiness and pleasure, between love and obsession. Where love makes one strive to be better and seek only the best for their beloved, obsession brings out their worst, and they will seek only possession of the object of their obsession. Billie is unhappy in her marriage and is seeking pleasure. Her pursuit of Alex is devious and resembles obsession. Kofi wants to save his marriage to Billie, but Billie's unhappiness is infectious. He is seeking happiness, but will settle for a distraction. He finds this distraction in Sofia, who is seeking happiness. Alex, Billie, Kofi, and Sofia are all seeking different things in each other and the lies they tell themselves inform the lies they tell each other. Their stories are interwoven and tangled and as the film unravels the perspectives of each, we see what they gain in the pursuit and mostly what they lose. In an ending reminiscent of "In the Company of Men," "Somewhere in the Middle" reveals its characters to be at times likable and at times petty, but never saccharine or unbelievable. The characters are as familiar as their plights. If you want a sequential story with a picture perfect ending, watch "Beauty and the Beast." If you want an intricate exploration of the human condition, watch "Somewhere in the Middle."