The Flats

Breathtaking in its cinematography and compelling in its story, The Flats is a great first effort for the Requa brothers. Kelly and Tyler do an excellent job of portraying a coming of age tale with subtly and compassion. Far from depicting the damaged Harper as a one-dimensional character, which would have been easy to do, the Requa brothers craft a multi-faceted portrait of a man forced to come to terms with his past, his reckless behavior, and his entrance into adulthood. Chad Lindbergh does a fantastic job of playing Harper with the subtly and skill he has become known for. It is clear that he is poised to break through into super-stardom. That said, however, this film would not have risen to such comedic heights without the able assistance of Greg Fawcett in the role of Chaz. For me, he stole the show. If you consider yourself an independent film buff, your resume will not be complete without seeing this film. I highly recommend it.

I felt this movie was entertaining to the point where it did its job in getting me out of my head(which i use movies for). I also felt the characters were fairly well developed, considering all the different characters involved. It had a realism about it that ironically added to the escapism element- that others' misfortunes can go a long way to make my life seem OK! The location of the filming definitely added to the point it was attempting to make. I consider this film for what it is- a decent independent film. I thought it to be very entertaining. It takes me a lot to stop, sit still and get "into" a new film I've never heard of- let alone an independent film on IFC channel, where others films haven't grabbed me. I think the cinematography was a big factor is stopping my remote on this movie initially with the whole "young people" drama thing being another pull.

I really enjoyed how the filmmakers framed the shots. They were evocative of other movies,without being obvious enough to stick out. The story was engaging, but had some clunky, heavy, dialogue which at times could break the scene ;especially egregious was the card playing scene towards the beginning, though with more experience I'm sure those types of bump will smooth out. I enjoyed Chad's acting for the most part, though I do hope he stops channeling Matthew Lillard at his worst. I appreciated the organic way in which the story developed and really hope these guys can get funded and continue on to make another feature.

I liked this film very much; it struck me as beautifully crafted and full of subtle emotion. Although the main characters initially seemed different from most of the people in my own life, I found myself very interested in their lives and stories. A few months after seeing this movie, another movie with a similar story line was more broadly released and more critically acclaimed- yet of the two films, I much preferred "The Flats", which seemed to be the prototype for the other. By the end of the movie I felt that I understood the people portrayed, especially the main character; their drama felt so real. Did I mention that I loved the ending?

This film is incredibly well cast, well directed, and well shot.

The story is one we've seen before, but the scenery and characters have a style all their own. The main character of Harper is perfectly played by Chad Lindberg (The Fast and the Furious, October Sky, The Rookie). He gives a moving performance as a drunkin' showboat, who's made one too many mistakes. The understated performances by Sean Christensen, and Jade Herrera are a perfect balance to the over the top antics of Harper. The rest of the cast provide mostly comic relief, but do it with much more timing, and talent than the average indie. Once you get through the first third, the story starts to build momentum, and it doesn't let up, leading to a great finish. Look for this film, and check it out!