The Red Maple Leaf

We we're in the Rheem theater for the California Film Festival deciding which movie to go see when we spotted a poster for The Red Maple Leaf. We noticed all these wonderful actors listed on the poster, many favorite stars of mine, and some that I did not see in a long time like Margot Kidder and Kris Kristofferson who I truly love. So we line up to purchase tickets and the theater is buzzing with people everywhere. It's like everyone Moraga came to see this movie. We we're not disappointed in our decision as it was a very good dramatic movie with a breathtaking story and some of Hollywood's finest actors. After the movie they introduced one of the stars of the movie Frank D'Angelo, who was in the audience, he also wrote and directed the film as well. He answered a barrage of questions from the audience which made the evening even more entertaining. He took us through some of the scenes and explained how they shot them, and gave us some background information on some of the actors, and let us in on some of the interesting things that went on during the shoot which made the entire night really fun.

My Mom watched the film at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival and told me that if I get a chance to see it I should because I would enjoy it. So, I looked it up and it was playing for a second screening as the closing film of the festival. I told my friends about it and we decided to make it an evening out to watch the movie and attend the closing festivities. I had no expectations as my mom just told me it was a great film. It started off tragically, with a detective losing his family in a car crash. The movie then changes gears into the life of a U.S. Ambassador and his wife whose young daughter went missing one morning in Ottawa Ontario, where the detective is asked to work on this case. Considering this is a movie that has so many moving parts and characters, I feel it was brilliantly directed. My friends and I were entertained through the entire movie, and were able to easily follow along with the entire story line. I was nervous recommending it to 5 girls to watch with me, as everyone is different, and usually people have different ideas of what is entertaining, however, every one of my friends enjoyed the film. I would definitely watch it again, and even recommend it to others. It also happens to feature Eric Roberts who is very sexy and one of my favorite actors.

The Red Maple Leaf provides for an intriguing and captivating story, although it might sound predictable, it is not. There are moments of darkness, of drama and funny enough, even comedic banter. There is an incredibly large cast of renowned Hollywood actors, perhaps the most I've seen besides the Expendables. I understand that Frank D'Angelo produced, wrote and directed the film in addition to starring in it. That is quite the undertaking, but this film delivers the goods and more. I think I will have to watch the film a second time in order to appreciate it even more. Overall I came away from watching this film feeling fulfilled. Many movies leave you wanting by the end but not this one. Bravo to the cast on making a fantastic film. If you are looking for an interesting and different take on a familiar genre, then give this movie a try, you will not be disappointed.

I had not heard of the Red Maple Leaf, and was hesitant to watch the film. My sister was able to persuade me to go watch it at The Hamilton Festival. I usually like to be entertained from beginning to end, and I have to say this film did the job. Right from the beginning you meet this workaholic detective and his family, who have such an amazing, fun relationship. Tragedy hits them early on, and he has loses everything. The detective gives up on life shortly after losing his family, but is convinced to take on the case of the U.S. Ambassador's missing daughter. The detective has to deal with the missing girl's emotional mother and seemingly apathetic father. As the story goes on you see how the detective continues to draw emotional parallels to his family heartbreak and this young girl's case. As mentioned, at first I was hesitant to watch the film, but I can say this was probably one of the most entertaining story lines I have seen this year. You will be entertained from beginning to end, and the writers do a great job of creating a story line you can engross yourself in. Detective Palermo pulls on your heartstrings as his search runs from hot to cold throughout the film. I would definitely recommend this film!

A real joy to watch and a pleasure for me to share with my friends. The Red Maple Leaf is an extraordinary simple film, yet it tells a big story, and what a story delivered by a super talented cast of some of Hollywood's finest actors. We happened to catch the film during the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival and we're glad we did. Don't expect special effects and explosions, this is a real life drama. The film is produced and finely crafted by an independent production company, but I will be surprised if a big film distributor does not pick this film up very quickly because it's a fantastic film. If you get a chance to see it when it becomes available, do it you will enjoy it.