Still Green

One and a half hours I spent watching this film, and the hour and a half afterwards I spent dumbstruck at the atrocity I had just witnessed.

The acting leaves a lot to be desired, but it's probably the film's strongest point. The directing is horrible and the filming is terrible. There are so many 'last days before we go off to college' films that they all need something to set them apart. This film decided to have an accident so absurd I laughed when it happened.

There is absolutely no character development - I got to the end of the film, saw one of the main characters and couldn't for the life of me remember whether he had actually done anything in the film or not. It is so weak it relies on voice overs of the character's thoughts as they are standing next to someone, and these range from mundane to such a pathetic attempt at being profound you're not sure whether it was supposed to be a joke.

The soundtrack is like a mix tape of failed bands attempting to imitate current 'hip' ones and the final scene was the icing on the cake. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it.

This film is diabolical.

I gave this 3 stars and feel like I was really generous because I was in a good mood while watching it and I like the beach, that's it. All the rest is so bad it's funny.

Whatever depth they wanted to give the characters with past stories is never delivered and in the end you have no idea who is doing what or why.

I can't comment on the acting because those poor guys had nothing to do with the script they were given, maybe they are amazing but just from this movie... you'll never know. They did manage to go through with the scenes without rolling on the floor with laughter, I had to give them that at least.

Still Green blew me away like the wind of a hurricane hitting on the palm tree leaves. I had goosebumps sitting in the theaters, and I was almost shaking when the last song started playing. Emotions overwhelmed me and made me stay in my seat even when the lights came on.

A friend dragged me to see this. This isn't my typical movie. I dig movies like Amelie or The Royal Tenenbaums; or maybe something like Paris, Je T'Aime. You know, movies that are more light-hearted and playful. I enjoy falling in love with the character everyone would fall in love with, I enjoy seeing someone tackling unrealistic problems that will never happen to me. From watching the trailer, I had some idea, but boy was I wrong about this. The characterizations were so real; there were no one-single-character to love just because everyone was supposed to love her, there were no one character to hate because he's the arch enemy of happiness. Still Green shows that real life isn't just black and white, and people aren't just good or bad. The characters were people that we all knew at one point of our life. We all had a friend who has trouble with his family; we all had a friend who's unlucky with love. We might even have problem with family or love ourselves! And this is why Still Green is a good movie because it is about real people. It projects a problem and you --the viewer-- must feel and intensity of the situation, and deal, and grow. I was re-evaluating my principles and beliefs, and thought about the the answers I'd have given as a kid.

The story is unique and passionate, the actors are fresh and superb, and the music is right on. It was as if the music was written for the movie because it fit so well. And the scenery; I've never been to Florida, but after watching this movie, Florida has become my next vacation destination. The beach, the clear, blueish-green ocean; it just really puts you in a relaxing mood.

The movie dealt with some of the very serious and heavy subjects in our lives today. I found myself identifying with the characters easily, and I understood where they were coming from because I was there not long ago. The actors did a great job, you'd think that they grew up and went to the same high school for 4 years. I almost felt like I was a part of them while watching the movie (it's like watching after-school programs and feeling like you grew up with Mike, Carol, and Ben ). I laughed, I cried, and I felt genuine emotion. This is what a good movie is all about.

I recently had the opportunity to view Still Green at the NH Film Festival, where it played to a packed house. The title reflects the beauty of the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the maturity of the teenagers as "still green." It portrays the coming-of-age retreat of high school friends, who join together for one final hurrah before going their separate ways. The storyline is well written, the acting superb, and the nature shots outstanding. The quality of the film as a whole is very strong. The music is original and memorable, and complements the scenes extremely well. There is one minor audio glitch, which the producers assure me will be dealt with before the next festival. The use of voice-overs is extremely effective in defining the individual characters. I highly recommend this movie.

I'd like to take this opportunity to comment on Still Green. I've known 2 of the main people involved with this project for a while. I work in the entertainment industry as well, and know many people who have made movies. I was blown away by this, and, realizing that 2 of my friends had made it, feel proud for what they've accomplished. They're not simply friends making a movie or a video, they're putting out legitimate, professional work. This is a wonderful story, with great, talented actors, and it shows that they're professional filmmakers ready to give to us something original, thought-provoking, entertaining and memorable. Even more so, I know they WANT to put the effort into creating something thought-provoking, entertaining, memorable and most importantly original. I can't wait to see what they do next and foresee a future in film-making for whomever may be involved with them. You should all see Still Green, it's a movie that really matters.