Magic Valley

I will not attempt to have perceived the intent of the writer and director of Magic Valley, but will interject that I found it to be beautiful, eerie and compelling.

I grew up in the "Magic Valley" in southern Idaho but have lived in the Seattle metro for years now. As a native to the region, I found that this film had captured the subtle beautify that dwells there, while still representing the begrudgingly passive culture that has developed in the communities.

I am amazed at how such a simple story can carry so much weight and can draw me in so deeply. Undoubtedly I will need to watch this film many more times to satisfy the questions that have come to mind by partaking the first.

It's not often that I've seen independent films of this quality produced by someone so new to the industry. Magic Valley is the only film Jaffe Zinn is credited to have written and directed yet he has produced something beautiful. It is no wonder that a veteran like Scott Glenn and newcomer Johnny Lewis were attacked to this script.

Magic Valley - You will haunt my mind with questions and draw me back countless times.

This movie comes at you in more than one direction. Humans can suffocate both physically and mentally and Jaffe Zinn has offered us a perfect story showing both sides of suffocating.

Here we have a small community in a most rural area of Idaho. Most of the adults are concerned with working to meet the needs of maintaining a comfortable life as we see in the Jerry Garabrant character. His wife Martha, is too busy tending to the dogs needs, shopping, house duties, to notice that their daughter is not home. Then there are the teenagers seeking risky thrills to alleviate their cramped existence in an isolated community. Each one is suffocating mentally and is mostly unaware of it.

TJ, the main character in this story, is visibly tormented, but why we do not find out until well into the movie. Is he suicidal? He wants to talk to someone but is not capable emotionally. The two little boys playing outside discover something that brings the viewer to the direction of this story. The physical side of suffocation is shown with the dead fish and in what the two little boys discover.

About the ending ... some find it pointless. But I see it as just saying 'life continues'. We all know the fate for TJ, the Garabrant's will eventually recover, and few things will actually change for all living in that small community. Zinn has made a thinking persons movie, beautifully photographed, scripted, and acted.

Saw this film yesterday at it's TriBeCa premier. Magic Valley is a starkly real look at a day in the life of small town America, but will resonate with all viewers. It is the story of how life can ambush us at any moment, and change us forever. Drawing on experiences from his own life, writer/director Jaffe Zinn fills the film with symbolism that weaves through the lives of the characters, and pulls the plot together perfectly. The large ensemble cast work together very nicely. They translate the sparse script with great skill using emotion as much as words to convey the story line to the audience. Kyle Gallner gives a particularly emotional performance as a troubled teen. Despite the dark overtone, there is some humor. Watch for an engaging performance by Scott Glenn as the quirky sheriff who has his own idea of what's legal in his town. And the two newcomers who play the little boys, dressed up as little boys do, portray the beguilling innocence of the prepubescent with unexpected skill. Enjoy.

According to Wikipedia MAGIC VALLEY was screened at the Rome Film Festival in October 2011 and then released online on May 2013, all signs that this might be a terrible movie which might not seem like this since the only four reviews here give a 5 and three 10s. But as usual with these sort of movies you have to watch them yourselves and then say the truth.

The story is set in a small community in a rural area of Idaho. When during a trip in the woods two young boys find the body of a dead woman, they decide it's the best thing to bury it, and during the course of the movie we see the lives of the various other characters. In particular the family and Sheriff Ed Halfner (Scott Glenn) show huge lack of indefference in her disappearence and finding out the cause of death.

While I have seen at least thousands of worse movies, I kinda save this one for the following reasons: the scenery was nice, the cinematography was good for its budget and Glenn as usual looked like the only one that tried with the material given.

In particular, there is one funny moment I'd love to mention: while two young thugs are committing a robbery, Halfner and his deputy stay sit in the car and Ed starts discussing about RENEGADE and WALKER TEXAS RANGER. First, not only I assume that in the US there must be some channel that airs them connected (like channel 22 here in Italy) but it was unintentionally hilarious. Why? Because instead of going out of the car and see what was going on, the Sheriff discussed about those two TV shows and an episode of each. And just for this the movie gained few points.

Overall, one of those movies projected at a festival and then released online with the assumption that if released in theaters would stink. While it's far from a good movie, it's still watchable trust me.

If in every small "ordinary" populated place, where nothing virtually happens, a dead body is found, then it is a trigger, then it all starts to swarm, and successive occasions and people's reactions are usually interesting to follow. But in Magic Valley, corpse forms only a parallel/collateral event, much focus is placed on damaged pond and dull communication among the youth. All this is extremely protracted, there are long camera shots of nature, people talk petty stuff and the ending is dull, making just shrug your shoulders... As for the cast, apart from Scott Glenn, there is no one really memorable.

Narration has its place under the sun, but not on the screen in such a manner. Luckily, the movie is around 1 hour 20 minutes only, but all this could be more suitable for radio show or alternative stage play. However, if you worship Terence Malick, you might like Jaffie Zinn as well.