The Guitar

The Guitar starring the stunning Saffron Burrows in a low-fi take on changing gears. A parable of the drudgery of modern life, the cancer we discover she has in the first minutes, is almost an allegory for modern life: slow death at the office. She then becomes both a recluse and a free spirit - out of touch but via the power of the credit card very much in touch with who her superego would want her to be.

What we love in this was the pacing - rather than slow a better word would be tender - the Guitar uses film to draw us into the perspective of a dying woman through sound, sight, and feeling and for a directorial debut this is powerful stuff.

it has a simplicity in the film-making. This far outweighs any nudity - and it does have an eroticism to it which is well handled - but really does not make the viewer feel like a voyeur. I felt an initial disappointment at how the ending is set up but it is, on reflection, well-handled from that point on. There is a quality to the ending which colors how you see the whole film let's the plot devices slide by.

If I were to choose two words for this they would be subtle and tender - and from my point of view I can't think of no better praise for this particular type of drama than that.

An auspicious beginning for Robert Redford's daughter Amy in her directorial debut.

Obviously we all have seen hundreds of movies when someone is counting his last days. This one is not what anyone can expect.

Watch it from heart, believe in writer and director and try to listen the message in movie. It can change your life. Its sad, funny, refreshing, keep you hooked till last minute and takes your entire night thinking on it.

Special movies are not for everyone. If you are little depressed, lonely, missing something in life other than money, the message in movie will teach you life. Take my suggestion, watch the movie and see if you are like all others or different.

Just saw this film at the Marin Film Festival. I am still absorbing it. A fine piece of film-making.

Saffron Burrows carries the film on her splendid shoulders. She is in almost every scene. I have always respected her work. With The Guitar she stretches her wings and flies.

Much of the film is without dialog. A lot of my favorite films are. Amy Redford did a fine job of directing. Very good first effort. I hope this film finds it's way out of the festival circuit and gets a release into theaters soon.

And I hope the IFC notices Saffron's performance.

I rented this film because I wanted to see some nudity with class. I got that and more, from plot to acting to sound to cinematography.

Where would I rank this film? Certainly in the top 100, probably the top 50 I have ever seen and I've seen thousands of films. I have even written my own screenplay but it's far different from 'The Guitar.' I didn't want to see this film end. I actually predicted that Melody would join up with a rock band. At first, I wanted her to get really rich and famous, but eventually, I felt the film ended quite well.

My tastes in films is very bizarre and so was this film. My #1 film of all time is 'Montenegro,' an American/Swedish co-production. That may give the reader a perspective of my stance on movies.

I will look up Saffron Burrows filmography and possibly rent some of her works. She looks a lot like a woman I knew 25 years ago; very tall, nice behind and small-breasted with long, unruly hair.

I could go on but I'm finished gushing. Now, I will recommend the film to my son and his wife and others who I know will enjoy this production.

For fans of Saffron Burrows, it will be an enjoyable 90-minutes of your time. She does the best with what little material she has to work with and turns in a gutsy, raw performance. The first half-hour is especially strong as the camera focuses almost exclusively on Burrows as her character copes with the diagnosis of a terminal illness, losing her job and being dumped by her boyfriend… all on the same day.

This is a very small budget production and it shows. The 21-day shoot makes for a slightly rushed and rough finished product. The directing by Amy Redford is on par, or slightly better, for an indie film. The sound and lighting were all acceptable as the majority of the film takes place in a huge penthouse loft with ample sunlight during the day and candle light being effectively used in the evening. There isn't much in the way of a supporting cast as this is primarily a showcase for Burrows displaying how one person might cope given this horrible scenario.

Some people will openly criticize how the Melody Wilder character initially deals with her dire situation, but I had no problem with it. I rather enjoyed it, actually. If you like Burrows or the premise as stated in the plot summary, I recommend seeing this film.

However, I personally prefer "Henry Poole Is Here," also released in 2008, by the talented director Mark Pellington (Arlington Road, The Mothman Prophecies). It has a larger budget which is used wisely by casting some well known as well as virtually unknown actors, and possesses quality direction and superior production aspects. The camera work is especially good.