Daruma

I don't want to post any spoilers but if you've got kids (especially daughters) keep a box of tissues handy when you watch this movie because you will need them. I have a young daughter and watching Patrick go through the steps he needed to go through in order to become not only a better man but the man and the DAD that Camilla needed was cathartic and painful at the same time. I was watching him and watching his struggles (the actor who played him was very good too) and then watching his neighbor own up to his own mistakes with HIS own family... wow. I did not expect such depth and nuance from an indie film like this. It was really well done and I will be thinking about it for days to come.

Don't miss this authentic movie. It's a refreshing change from others in the same genre - the cast is real, the story is touching, and the ending worked for me! It's nice to watch something so well made and that doesn't leave you wishing you had rented or bought something else instead. It's long enough to be an evening, but not overly so, and the scenery is great. I especially liked the scenes with the (very) young child, being a sentimental person myself. Touching but not cloying. I found myself alternating between disliking the main characters and really liking them alot! A milestone, breaking the stereotypes movie!

I've seen this film twice now (once on the festival circuit and then in person in LA at a screening) and I loved it even more the second time I saw it (if that's even possible). Everything about this film: from the acting, to the writing, to the cinematography, to the determination of the filmmakers to get it made and out into the world is a triumph of independent filmmaking. It's so hard to make a movie and even more so to make one that stars authentically cast actors but this film does it and does it exceptionally well. If you want to support authentic storytelling and indie filmmaking, please check out this film. Everything in Hollywood is based on sequels and big set pieces but this movie is like a throwback to that wonderful time in the late 1990s and early 2000s where films were centered on characters and their stories. It's like the film's tagline: fall down seven times, get up eight. Maybe the success of this film can help encourage others to make films like this and demonstrate an audience for this kind of storytelling. Well done to everyone involved.

I loved this film. It is filled with heart and humor. The characters are grounded in reality and flawed - like all of us.

The story is raw and honest. We've all been through the dark night of the soul- and director Alexander Yellen captures lead character Patrick's (played beautifully by Tobias Forrest)deep existential crisis.

Kelli McNeil's writing is strong and funny, and the pace keeps the audience engaged.

One of my favorite parts of the film is how beautifully it is shot. The soundtrack is surprisingly vibrant and upbeat.

Finally, it is a film that addresses the complexities of family and life ALONG with inclusive messaging. People have disabilities. Some are invisible, and some are visible. I am not in a wheelchair. One of my dearest friends is in a wheelchair, and guess what-his life is as real, important, valid, passionate, and complex as mine.

Support independent art and see this beautifully shot and told story!

I saw this at The Miracle Theater in DC and I LOVED it! It's a quiet movie about a man trying to let go of the past and become the person he was meant to be. I loved the symbolism of the Daruma doll in the movie - it was very subtle and the move I think about the movie, the more layers and nuances I begin to uncover. There's a lot of layers to unpack in the film and it was really surprising how by the end of the movie, you completely forget about the disability at all. You're just looking at two normal people who are going through the human experience and trying and learning and picking themselves back up again! Very good and highly recommend!