Raising Flagg

I found "Raising Flagg" to be a charming film, well directed and well shot. Director of Photography, Erich Roland's, cinematography really demonstrated the Sony camera's capability of delivering pristine film-quality images. His photography was extraordinary and I enjoyed seeing his transition shots of vast Oregon landscapes combined with the interior shots of the actors in various lighting conditions. Shadow detail, depth of field, composition it was all there. Night scenes were also well shot.

The Windows Media 9 encoding and presentation of the film was flawless. The screen size in the Angelica Film Center was typical in size of most theater multiplex screens. The Digital Cinema presentation was bright and sound was excellent. Not at one point was the technology revealed. I simply was in a theater watching an entertaining film.

Digital Cinema is here and now my decision to shoot in High Definition is finalized! Thank you Neal Miller and special thanks to Sony Electronics and Microsoft Windows Media 9!

Roy Francis Stewart Enterstewart Pictures Writer/producer/director "Rock Dreams"

I really enjoyed this movie. It is a very heart warming family story that is both drama and comedy. Excellent acting by the entire cast including "Cubby" the dog.

"Raising Flagg" is a laid back, innocuous indie comedy about a cantankerous, attention-seeking old codger (delightfully played by Alan Arkin) and his run-ins with various members of his family and community.

Preferring the appreciative chuckle to the full-throated guffaw, writer/director Neil Miller gently ribs his small town folk without once resorting to condescension or caricature to get the laugh. Arkin is nicely complemented by a cast of familiar and not-so-familiar faces (Austen Pendleton and Richard Kine being probably the most recognizable of the lot), while the Pacific Northwest setting provides a scenic backdrop for all the shenanigans.

When Flagg become sick and the family trickled in to pay their respects.

A real shame.

---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Deliberately botched (for the "it's so bad it's good" crowd) 2 I don't want to see it 3 I didn't finish and or FF'd through it 4 Bad 5 I don't get it 6 Good 7 Great but with a major flaw 8 Great 9 Noir with moral 10 Inspiring with moral.

This is an independent film, not a Hollywood film. I recently had a chance to see it at the TriMedia Film Festival in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's a slow film, and slightly quirky, as is common in many independent films, but the characters are fairly well-developed characters and well-acted for the most part. As such, this is a character-driven film.

While the central plot element is the conflict between Flagg Purdy (Alan Arkin) and his lifelong friend and neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), the story is really about Flagg's family and forgiveness. Flagg is a stubborn, prideful man who is hard to get along with. Yet, members of his family come to visit at his request, even if reluctantly. Throughout the film, the actors effectively convey the strained relationships within the family, and much of the story is watching the interactions play out between them. In the end, there isn't so much resolution as there is progress, and a degree of hope.