As an upstanding member of the cinematic community here in the Empire State, I was able to attend a special screening of this film in the Tribeca Film Center in New York City. While the film itself may not cure cancer, cancer DOES play a large role in it.
But mostly it's about life and its Tragic Heroes. What makes some of us run and hide from our past and our problems, while others are willing to face them head on and live life to the fullest - Let Life IN, so to speak. (Okay, okay, bad pun!!)
But seriously, as a filmmaker, I have to respect any independent filmmaker, especially those that get the most out of their low budgets, and that's what I came out of this film thinking. There is a lot of good in it, and perhaps just a little bad, but when you consider the type of budget they had to work with, it might be a miracle that writer-director Steven Creazzo was able to get his film made.
He gets the most out of his cast of young newcomers, and the young actress that played the lead was very good. There is also a lot of music by a singer that sounds suspiciously like Sheryl Crow, though, a quick review of the end credits revealed it wasn't Sheryl! Still for a few minutes, I was fooled! (See the film and you will quickly know what I mean!)
But back to that whole theme of Tragic Heroes. In this film, we quickly learn that the heroin is in remission for Cancer. And while there is a certain level of cornball cheese for the softy in all of us, it is tempered by Hitchock's old lesson .... Suspense versus Mystery. And, it's certainly no mystery that the suspense involved here is that while the heroin begins a new assignment working for a recluse writer (and I can assure you there are plenty of those in the business!!) we can predict the two will opposites will attract easier than if they were in the Paula Abdul song. Still, that suspense revolves around that terrible villain from the beginning that we are just waiting to rear its ugly head. Yes, I'm talking about the girl's cancer.
Now, while Cancer is a very sad and serious subject, there is a lot of positive in this film, not the least of which is that an indie filmmaker was able to get this made despite the lack of any mutants, maniacs or curse words. Again, while I won't sugar coat it, there is a certain level of cheese, it is tempered by the harsh reality of this story, and lack of a Hollywood ending.
Yet, this film covered as much ground as DYING YOUNG, of which I also really liked. It certainly had similarities to it, only the situation is reversed. The eventual Tragic Hero is working for the employer rather than the opposite. And it made me realize something:
We need these Tragic Heroes in cinema, almost as much as we do in life.
