Heaven's Neighbors

I discovered this wonderful film a few weeks ago at indieflix.com. Being a film major I keep on the lookout for movies that are slightly out of the mainstream. Usually this means sitting through atrocious horror films that lack style, substance, or for that matter, a plot. It was extremely refreshing to finally unearth an indie that does quite well in all three of these areas. I decide to write a paper for class on the Human condition as expressed in Heaven's Neighbors. My professor was so intrigued with my paper (I got at 3.8!) that he wanted me to show the film to the whole class. He thought it might incite a good discussion. He was right! Overall, the response was extremely favorable. It was interesting to note that females overwhelmingly loved this movie. The male students where split between those who thought it was good, but not great, and one or two who didn't like it at all. This sparked a quite a debate! Especially when it was noted that those who didn't like it were all "jocks" whose taste in films runs more toward action films like Terminator and Armageddon. And those that loved the film said that it was precisely because it wasn't "action laden with over the top special effects, that they enjoyed it so much. They noted the emphasis on story and the insights on life were the best part about Heaven's Neighbors. Judging by the comments here I see that many others feel the same way. Those of us who love the film are going to expand out research. I, for one, have found deeper levels after repeated viewings. Maybe it's fodder for a term paper? If I could only figure out what Dr. Boreas is all about? What's the real motivation for suicide? What does his name mean?

This movie is by far the best thing indieflix.com has to offer. That's not to say that there isn't anything else worth while from indieflix, in fact Figure in the Forest (made by the same production company) is quite good. But Heaven's Neighbors outshines them all. The acting is quite good, the story is intelligent and thought provoking with out being too maudlin, and the camera work is novel without being too obtrusive. And while this might not be a glowing recommendation for a typical Hollywood production, at this level of film making these are remarkable achievements. I give the producers a big hand for knowing the limitations forced on low budget indie film makers. Too often independent film producers try for the big bang, when in reality they can't afford much more than a wet firecracker. This doesn't mean they can't find a good script they can work with at this level. Heaven's is a near perfect example of intelligent producers, who understand and work within their financial limitations, creating a small story that has both an emotional depth and a trenchant storyline.

I'm a huge independent film fan. You can always find me at the local art-house or the specialty video stores looking for those small films that snuck in under the radar. Believe me I've seen thousands of foreign films, shorts, and good old American made indies. Out of all of them I would rank Heaven's Neighbors in the top ten percent. It's not only a well crafted story, but it also has a wonderful "ambiance" that seeps into your soul. The acting is quite well done for such a small film, in particular the four main leads are impressive. Their characters appear to be four key aspects of either human or, more particular, male personalities. Jake, fun loving and outgoing; John, brooding and tormented; Peter, the square peg in the round hole; and Boreas, a very successful doctor who's personal life is empty and meaningless. I loved the interplay between these four actors as they attempted to find meaning in life. I'm not sure if this has any significance, but they all have unusual last names. I'm going to look into this a bit deeper. All in all a fine art-house film that deserves to be seen by any true fan of indie films.

I was sitting in my comparative mythologies class about a week ago when the mention of a single name drew my attention. The professor was going over a few key points in classical Greek mythology when I heard him mention Boreas. Boreas? Where had I heard that name before? It took me a while and then I remembered this movie I had watched not too long ago called Heaven's Neighbors. I couldn't wait to get back to my apartment and check it out again. I liked the movie and I was curious if this were just a coincidence. A quick review of the movie confirmed that this was no coincidence. Every major character's name either comes from Greek mythology, Christian history, or derives it's source from western civilization. Naturally I had to delve deeper. I was soon aware of another level to this little movie. Another level that I had missed in the first viewings. Suffice it to say my second semester thesis is going to be entitled: Western mythological motifs in the movie Heaven's Neighbors. I would like to that the film makers for such fertile ground for my research project. I am sure that I will be moving over ground never crossed before! On a side note I must tell you that I got this movie as a bootleg from a friend. Other researches have turned yup the fact that it is available from indieflix.com and as yet it has no major distributor. This is a wrong that must be corrected. This movie deserves to be distributed through major channels. The depth of the characters and the story are worthy of so much better. Somebody pick this movie up and get it into the stores!

It took a while. I had to watch this movie several times before I began to notice just what held me captivated. The story is heartwarming and beautifully acted, but there was something more, something deeper, that seemed to affect my soul. What the film makers have done here is to create a world that is extremely compelling. The world inside the half way house is a bit stark and barren, but nonetheless is stunning. It makes a nice contrast to the "outside" world, which is the epitome of a perfect summer day, shot in soft focus. Several scenes stand out as some of the best cinematography I have seen in any independent film. The whole sequence in the park when the two leads, John and Jake, discuss writing and painting is so perfectly shot that you almost feel the warm breeze and the sun on you face. On top of that it is so nice to watch actors "communicating" with each other without resorting to some type of overly dramatic action that usually punctuates so many "talking" scenes. Not every scene needs a kicker ending; that's not the way life works. Kudo's to the director for keeping this film grounded in human reality. Another scene that stands out as truly magnificent is the sequence when the two leads walk at night to the doctors house. This scene makes a nice compliment to the park scene as it captures the beautifully ethereal qualities of a warm summer night. Using the dark night, which can be both inspiring and fear inducing, we dig deeper into the problems of these two young men. Their journey is both physical and metaphorical at the same time. The deeply troubled John, with the help of Jake, learns to confront the demons in the dark, and begin the process of healing. This is probably one of the most hauntingly sublime scenes you will ever see in any movie. Finally, I must mention one of the key aspects that help make this "film world" so appealing. I can tell that a great deal of thought and effort went into the musical score. Many independent films look upon the music as an afterthought. Not so with Heaven's Neighbors. You can tell that each piece was carefully crafted to embellish and help bring out the emotional heart of the scene. Put together, the whole score weaves a brilliant tapestry of the highs, lows, humor, and sadness, of everyday life. By the time the last song (the Heaven's Neighbors theme) begins to play, I'm reduced to tears. The music and vocals are as heartbreakingly beautiful as Titanic's theme. A fitting end for a remarkable movie.