springwell111

It took a while. I had to watch this movie several times before I began to notice just what held me captivated. The story is heartwarming and beautifully acted, but there was something more, something deeper, that seemed to affect my soul. What the film makers have done here is to create a world that is extremely compelling. The world inside the half way house is a bit stark and barren, but nonetheless is stunning. It makes a nice contrast to the "outside" world, which is the epitome of a perfect summer day, shot in soft focus. Several scenes stand out as some of the best cinematography I have seen in any independent film. The whole sequence in the park when the two leads, John and Jake, discuss writing and painting is so perfectly shot that you almost feel the warm breeze and the sun on you face. On top of that it is so nice to watch actors "communicating" with each other without resorting to some type of overly dramatic action that usually punctuates so many "talking" scenes. Not every scene needs a kicker ending; that's not the way life works. Kudo's to the director for keeping this film grounded in human reality. Another scene that stands out as truly magnificent is the sequence when the two leads walk at night to the doctors house. This scene makes a nice compliment to the park scene as it captures the beautifully ethereal qualities of a warm summer night. Using the dark night, which can be both inspiring and fear inducing, we dig deeper into the problems of these two young men. Their journey is both physical and metaphorical at the same time. The deeply troubled John, with the help of Jake, learns to confront the demons in the dark, and begin the process of healing. This is probably one of the most hauntingly sublime scenes you will ever see in any movie. Finally, I must mention one of the key aspects that help make this "film world" so appealing. I can tell that a great deal of thought and effort went into the musical score. Many independent films look upon the music as an afterthought. Not so with Heaven's Neighbors. You can tell that each piece was carefully crafted to embellish and help bring out the emotional heart of the scene. Put together, the whole score weaves a brilliant tapestry of the highs, lows, humor, and sadness, of everyday life. By the time the last song (the Heaven's Neighbors theme) begins to play, I'm reduced to tears. The music and vocals are as heartbreakingly beautiful as Titanic's theme. A fitting end for a remarkable movie.