Castelli di sabbia

I do not write reviews, but I signed up because there is something special about this film. It's got an indie grittiness that you love in movies like Winter's Bone, but with a light, love and beauty (cinematography is amazing) that you would see in a Terrence Malick film. The story is full of nuance and things you "get" without being told, almost philosophical at times. I read a reviewer called it "Hauntingly poetic", which is a perfect term for it. But like most good movies, you either really love it or you really don't. I loved it. The cast is subtle and raw, the music is captivating, the story is complex and subtle (pay attention to the details, some I only picked up on 2nd watch)... and the cinematography is beautiful. The film won a lot of awards on the film festival circuit and for good reason. Bottom line: The movie made me feel different than most.

P.S. There is an important scene in the middle of the end credits, so stick around!

It always makes me question the quality of the movie when the highest review ratings are by people who have only reviewed this movie and no others. Are they attached to the movie somehow? I watched 20 minutes and could have gone longer but it seemed like a movie very a low budget - not that there is anything wrong by that, but I need to be in the right mood to see it through. The 20 minutes I watched wasn't bad, I just didn't want to spend the rest of an hour on it. If I go back to it, I'll update my review. Sorry guys.

I am a movie lover. I watch movies every day and night. My husband and I should be movie critics I know everybody's taste is different but we know a good movie when we see one and especially if the film maker is good etc. We started making jokes saying well this is not a cheap made movie they can afford a helicopter and the trees look real. No lie. We are horror movie addicts but decided tonight we would watch something else.

Let me just add that when these people rank this movies any of them from horror to comedy in the best movies, top movies etc it is a joke so must of the time watch for yourself.

This movie was the best. Good storyline so many emotions. This is the first movie I have came on and actually sat down to write this much or give a movie so much good credit. From start to finish amazing. Now one well mainly is at the top of my list as best film ever made in a very long time. You get such a real look at life, what tragedy does, what good life is and a bittersweet end. This is a must watch movie and if you are a movie lover like we are you won't regret it. I give this movie 10 out of 10 starts. Definitely a must see.

Set in rural Indiana, Sand Castles tells of the impoverished Daly family continually haunted by a tragedy that occurred more than a decade ago. It's a nightmare that never ends. After a family trip to the beach, little Lauren Daly mysteriously disappeared, snatched by a stranger.

The devastation felt by the remaining family members understandably causes their lives to spiral down, out of control, resulting with dad taking his life while mom (an outstanding Saxon Trainor) drowns in a world of cigarettes and booze, leaving their son Noah (Jordon Hodges) to basically fend for himself.

Then, a decade later, the unimaginable occurs. "There's no easy way to say this," a cop tells the family. "We found Lauren."

Somehow, the little girl, now a teenager, has escaped from the confines of wherever she was held captive, but the trauma of the past ten years or so has resulted in a complete shutdown: she doesn't speak. The only potential clue to what might have happened to her is a well-worn copy of the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations. The significance of the novel and why the young girl appears to read and re-read the book is later revealed, but to the frustration of the social worker assigned to the case, Alison Paige (Daniella Grace), Lauren refuses to allow anyone to touch her dog-eared copy. In an attempt to break through the young girl's silence and hopefully open up a channel of communication with her, Alison buys her own copy of the book and even takes both Lauren and Noah to a local community theatre production of the novel.

Sand Castles - a title referring not only to that fateful day at the beach but also the fragility of an existence that can be swept away by a single wave in one, brief, unexpected moment – is an impressive debut from Jordon Hodges, who here does triple duty as actor, writer and co-producer. There's little wonder as to why the film has already collected a number of festival awards; Sand Castles has its flaws, but the overall impression you're left with as you leave the theatre is one of immense satisfaction, the result of witnessing an ambitious story well told and the introduction to a new talent; Jordon Hodges.

As writer, Hodges uses only slight reveals to illustrate important key moments. It's up to us, the audience, to recognize the clues. Imagine trying to fit pieces of a jig-saw into place but without the aid of the picture on the box. Flashbacks occur, but they're brief; they flash on the screen in the same way a thought may suddenly spring to mind, lasting just a few seconds, often shorter. With an economy of dialog, feelings are often illustrated by the briefest of glances or an accusatory look. When ex-cop and close family member, Tommy Daly (Randy Spence) buys Lauren her own, small fridge - the kind a student may have for convenience in the dorm - the young girl unexpectedly runs forward and hugs her uncle, burying her head in his chest. It's a touching and genuinely heartfelt family moment made all the more effective due to the simple absence of dialog. But occasionally there are the odd missteps.

The scene where Tommy's ex-partner, now detective (Scott Jemison) angrily berates Lauren out of frustration for her continual silence develops into something unnecessarily overwrought and not particularly well-played, plus the sudden romance between Noah and the attractive social worker occurs completely out of nowhere. The moment when Alison suddenly kisses Noah is meant to surprise, which it certainly does, but up until that moment there has been no indication whatsoever of the social worker's attraction to Lauren's big brother. The romance needs to happen in order for later events to occur, but somehow that initial moment feels both wrong and unnatural. There's also the appearance of an important, extra scene that runs in the middle of the closing credits. It's not an add-on; it's an integral part of the mystery and needs to be seen earlier rather than at the conclusion of the cast list.

However, backed by an outstanding, atmospheric score from musician Todd Maki and solid performances from Hodges, Trainor and Spence, plus an effective appearance from Clint Howard whose somewhat creepy presence only adds to the overall mystery of Lauren's kidnapper, director Clenet Verdi-Rose has delivered a feature that needs to venture further than the confines of the festival circuit. More importantly, it introduces us to Jordon Hodges. Remember the name.

• Valley Screen and Stage: David Appleford's Film and Theatre Reviews

davidappleford.com

In a sea of virtual oil spills for flicks, I have been watching a lot of foreign/indie films. Yes this is low budget, a bit old in movie world, but transcends its financial limitations through realistic ground in its telling. It's worth watching through to its bittersweet finale with more than one surprise revelation. I'm giving a high rating mainly because I don't believe this is a work of fiction, I believe it's someone's actual life story, and if it isn't, many elements of it ring with truth. If you need a blockbuster to be entertained Indie film viewing isn't for you.