Fallen Arches

A slick film with a visual style from a first rate director. The performances are good, especially Justin Louis as "Duke" and Peter Ornorati as "Charlie." Tamara Braun of "General Hospital" fame shows she's more than a soap opera queen as "Jenny." The relationship between the "Romano Brothers" is believable and moving. Ron Cosentino directs the film at a fever pitch and his use of imagery and locations (shot throughout the streets of Hollywood and L.A.) makes this an enjoyable viewing experience. Honorable mention is given to veteran actress Karen Black as the hard working waitress mother of the Romano's whose dreams for her boys are drowned in her barfly persona. Carmine Giovinazzo is also good in the lead as Frankie Romano. I hope to see more films from Cosentino in the future.

And at least one of them lives in Waterloo, Iowa. I recently watched Cosentino's directorial debut and while the film definitely has some problems, I found it ambitious, cinematic, and at least a slight homage to the new york based dramas of the 1970's. It was also quirky and tragic, and once I got used to slower pace of the film, I threw myself in and went for the ride. Where some found cliché, I found irony. I like the NY vibe of the film, set somewhat askew by its LA setting. It's like a live action Tom Waits song...a mixture of tones with some really rough edges, some great moments, and a little all over the place.

I also like that the story stayed true to the characters and their relationships, and didn't get bogged down in that NY vs LA thing. The characters were good and the performances were strong across the board. Sure, the script could have been tighter and taken a few unexpected turns, but for what it is, Cosentino's Fallen Arches is a solid first effort.