Hello from Nowhere

I've written about indie film for years and I've seen it all. But I've never seen anything quite like this! Anthony Orkin has a vivid imagination and he puts it to good use here. Just when you think you can see where the plot is going, it surprises you. He's managed to play with genres and keep viewers on their toes. It's a little "Midsummer Night's Dream," a little "Portlandia" and a lot of fun! The scenery alone makes it a worthwhile watch. It was filmed on location in Mt. Hood National Forest and Anthony, who also edited the film, does a great job of highlighting the natural splendor. If you are looking for something truly indie and original (and light and fun) check out HELLO FROM NOWHERE.

OK so Anthony Orkin's my kid brother, but I've watched a lot of Netflix these past few years and I still think Hello From Nowhere is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. Think "Gilligan's Island" as a musical with an undercurrent of menace. I've now seen the film twice and there's a lot going on here at different levels that one misses the first time. At least, this one does. From mysterious Jason to sprightly Denise, goofy Brendan, sultry Lanie and heart-melting John, the cast delivers smash performances. The music is uplifting and the lyrics, ingenious. And the cinematography, positively stunning.

Todd R and John A put in good performances. This film is much talked about here in the Netherlands. It's a sort of story we like about friendships. The style of acting reminded me a lot of The Scarlet Pimpernel: majestic and glorious and really very friendly and certainly a breath of fresh air in the arena of over-budgetted films the mindless riff raff are prone to watch day in day out, sorry no cheap aims here, just making a point in defense of this rather good work. I myself have had a similar experience a couple times to the protagonist of this story so i can identify, and relate, certainly resonates. Watch this film, it's really got something.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hello from Nowhere and interloping into the lives of the characters as they spend a few days camping in the forest. With the societal distractions gone from the picture, campers are free to enjoy their deep or guilty pleasures. In the film, this means singing familiar songs (the movie's original score is great) and partaking of wine. These characters seem most at home when they are singing from a musical learned long ago, or cringing at having heard these songs for so many years. The mystery around the stranger they encounter keeps you guessing.

The cinematography is outstanding, including gorgeous views of the mountains and trees. As I watched the scenes, I reminisced about the camping trips into the woods that I've done over the years. The awe of nature and the physical/emotional closeness with friends have impact in the moment and over the years.

The plot sounded interesting. I started watching and almost turned it off instantly. I was bored and figured I'd give it a chance. I've watched some terrible movies, but this is close to the top of that list. The older guy knows his stuff for outdoors. That's the only reason I'd give this 3 stars. With only 3 reviews and 2 of them being the directors family, I had to drop my rating from 3 to 1 to help balance out the 10s they gave.

The acting feels like a high school drama club project at best. The story was ok. If you have absolutely nothing else to watch or do, or no door nearby to slam a body part in repeatedly, give it a watch.