Premium

I am not a "film person," per se. I accompanied my 17 yr. old son to the Newark Black Film Festival because he wants to be a film person, and I wanted to introduce him to the Film Festival world. I found Premium to be witty and hip, as well as, textured and sophisticated. A Black man's story about male/female relationships, strike that, any man's story about non-buddy relationships....now that is groundbreaking in the film world. Not only was it new, it was fun. I also found Chatmon's and Missicks' handling of the Q and A after the film aired kind of engaging, like the entertainment I had seen on the screen, which leads one to believe there is more good film where Premium came from. Premium showcases the strong and confident voices of the cast and the writer/director that deserve to be heard, because they "get it," and give it right back...so that you can be in on the fun and "get it" too!

I don't believe I have ever seen either Dorian Missick or Zoe Saldana in a movie previously; I loved their chemistry together. I have to say that Zoe Saldana has just become one of my favorite actresses. Her performance was impeccable, and she has great depth as an actress. I appreciate the kind of movie that Mr. Chatmon is bringing to the screen and hope he is blessed with the opportunity to evolve and showcase his talent and fulfill his vision. The movie starts out with an emphasis on the shallow and somewhat pathetic life that "Cool" is currently caught up in. Don't be fooled. The moment Missick and Saldana come together a new dimension opens. This is an enjoyable movie, and I hope it is well supported. Most people are searching for good movies to watch; tell someone to pick it up.

Thats a really pleasent surprise. Nice one and touched me.

One dude who is trying a breaktrough in a world as an wannabe actor and making money as a gas station employee, and a woman who is getting married soon, but she doesnt know if it is right, because her finacee is a kind of goat but wealthy.

They have some history. They get along again by unfortunate events, and so the story goes.

Zoe Saldaña is so pretty in this movie btw. So i dont understand why all the grain was added, didnt give any good but killed much in picture quality so -2. You can never do 7mm digitally. Hope they remake without digital grain.

Dorian Missick pumps gas at the station owned by his mother's boyfriend. He goes on an endless round of auditions for dumb roles: the drug dealer, or the mugger, or the rapist. He hasn't gotten a part since a burger commercial. Then, one day Zoe Saldana drives up. He and she are ex-lovers, and he's never gotten over her. She's engaged to be married in a couple of days. So in between the gas station and the auditions, he makes one last try for her.

Pete Chatmon's movie is .... well, it's mostly the portrait of what appears to be a loser, but there's an undertone of life going on while you seem to be stuck. The performances are excellent, but despite some clever bits in the editing, in which scene-setting credits appear like a script, this appears to be less of a story than a tale of desperation, and Missick's struggle to keep a positive attitude in the midst of slow-motion disaster.

I'm a filmmaker myself and I see quite a few films. Premium was one of the most enjoyable and well done films I've seen on the festival circuit this year. Part of the genius is the direction. Pete Chatmon confidently lets this perfectly cast group of actors perform without trying to use any tricks to make the story more interesting or feel like a studio project. Zoe Saldana was excellent as usual but I was pleasantly surprised by the way the lead actor, Dorian Missick was able to handle himself in a cast that includes Hill Harper and Frankie Faison. Something is wrong if Missick does not get more leading roles. I did some research and discovered that the writer/director took his time and developed the script over a number of years. It shows. This is a film that any demographic group would enjoy. I expect to see it in THEATERS early next year.