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?

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.

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.

A friend clued me in to indieflix.com. I was hooked immediately and single handedly probably kept them in business for a month or so. Quite a few of the shorts they offer are better than average, but without a doubt the crown jewel of them all is Heaven's Neighbors. Not only is it shot well, but it has what many indie flicks do not have, a story. The film makers have taken what is usually a handicap for small production companies (lack of funds), and turned it into an advantage. The problem with most indie movies is that they try to bite off more than they can chew. You end up with a movie of high aspirations, that fails to reach it's goals. Here you have a story that works within the framework of what they can actually do. Instead of half baked actions scenes that only illustrate their limitations, you have a wonderful character study that shows that you can accomplish great things if you only understand the medium. Everyone should surf on over to indieflix.com and buy Heaven's Neighbors right now. Keep the spirit of independent film alive and treat your self to one of the finest examples of "film making with limitations."

I bought this movie because I'm a big Aaron Jackson fan. I grew up watching him on California Dreams. I always considered that show to be a weak showcase for the talents for all the actors involved. When I discovered that Jackson played the lead in a small independent movie I hoped, against the odds, that it would be something that could show off his skills as an actor. I was not just pleasantly surprised, I was knocked over by the outstanding work of Jackson and the other actors on this film. The story was funny, poignant, crazy, and sad all at the right times. All of the characters were wonderfully played including Jackson's Jake, his buddy John, and all the way down to the smarmy Reverend Matthews. It was so nice just to sit back and watch a touching emotional story, without being bombarded by explosions or reality bending computer graphics. I hope Jackson and the others involved continue to make these kind of films in the future. In fact this story begs for a sequel. I hope the film makers are reading this because I'm dying to know what happens when Jake and John meet up again in Florida!