The Ghost and the Whale

An exceptional film, largely overlooked upon it's initial release. It was recommended to me by my acting teacher for, as he put it, "A great film, created by real story tellers" . Agreed.

The performance by director, Anthony Gaudioso alone was spectacular. One of the top villains I've seen in cinema. Terrifying when you look at what he looks like in real life, to what he became. Well done.

The film is a staunch, unflinching look at love, loss and fate. Exceptional writing and masterful directing by The Twins.

It's high concept in a relatable story. You really have to pay attention to to appreciate. References to the great Edgar Allen Poe, Melville and Hitchcock.

Notable performances by the cast round out this ensemble, most specifcally, brother - James Gaudioso, Kelley Ann Flynn & Tim Brennen

100% recommend.

From beginning to end the movie keeps the viewer interested. The character development is excellent and the story is a troubling view of life through the mind of a bipolar man grieving and searching for answers. Maurice Benard gives an excellent performance convincingly portraying a man torn apart with grief and self destructive guilt in a town with no pity. I would strongly recommend this movie . It was well written, directed and acted.

This under-promoted drama/mystery about a man named Joseph who is struggling with bipolar disorder and the mysterious death of his wife, is one of the best films I've seen. With an intriguing plot, a stellar cast, and beautifully shot scenes, it grabbed my attention and kept me at the edge of my seat.

The plot unfolds in such a way that I felt the dark despair, the disabling confusion, the pain, the deep love, the manic highs, the glimmers of hope, and the relentless need for answers right along with Joseph. The pace is up and down, fast, and frenzied just as Joseph's mind operates.

True to life, surrounding him are people who are ignorant about mental illness and willing to ignore him, condemn him, hurt him, hate him, and be frightened of him. Only one person is willing to get to know the real Joseph and this allows the audience to meet him, too.

Joseph's roller coaster ride throughout the film made my emotions jump from angry, to confused, to scared, to sickened at the pain human beings inflict on each other. Yet, at the same time, I found reasons to smile, to care, and to hope. The ride was truly memorable for me.

At the core of the film is an interesting mystery: Did Joseph Hawthorne kill his wife? He's a troubled guy, after all, off his meds and struggling to remember the day she disappeared. It's easy to believe he definitely did crime, and it's easy to believe he definitely didn't. That's where the fun of the film's earliest minutes lies.

The best moments in this film, though, are those involving the character Jack. He generates so much suspense, oh my god. He's eerie from the moment he appears squeezing the spike on a barbed wire fence, and then just fun-to-watch psychotic as he conducts a revenge mission.

He's one of those characters you can't wait to see on screen again, but then when he appears, you kind of dread it because you know everyone is in danger. There's a scene with him and his family in a park that's incredibly intense, evil, and well-performed. My heartrate jacked so high I must've burned 100 calories.

Another highlight includes Dusty Lee, Jack's sister. She's believably creepy and in a lot of the film's most fun scenes. Just a nice spark to Jack's flame. Also, shoutout to poor Ed Hale, who just wants to write an interesting story for the newspaper and ends up having, like, the worst two weeks ever.

Enjoyed the film. The characters speak a lot of the subtext, and some of the relationships would've benefitted from a little more screen time and room to develop, but when the 100 minutes were all over, I was glad I took the journey.

Loved the message of the movie. Mental health is not addressed enough in this country. Using an actor who suffers from bi polar in real life was ingenious. I really felt the pain of the character. Tippi Hedren is from one of my favorite movies so I love seeing her. This is definitely worth renting and keep an open mind when watching it.