Self Medicated

From all the reviews so far, I'm thinking I've stumbled upon a meeting of the Monty Lapica Fan Club.... Meanwhile, there's this film I saw last night with an audience that merely got up and walked out when it finished. And this particular indie theater is the kind of place where audiences easily clap when the credits roll -- unless the film is a dud.

This may not be the worst movie I've seen, but it's no Basketball Diaries. For starters, I commend Lapica for his multiple efforts, but he would have done better to have an actual teenager play the lead. I kept looking at this mid-to-late-20s guy and wondering why he was trying to portray a high school angst-ridden druggie. I don't care how intelligent the character (i.e. Lapine) is, he was just too-- neatly pressed, and too old, to be believed.

The dialog was wooden, the acting either stilted (Lapica and various reprobates) or overblown (Bowen), and the cinematography often washed-out and grainy (and not for effect). I'll give editor Kendall points for good flow and no continuity errors. But he had to work with trailing characters who said their lines and went nowhere -- and a big hole in the form of the pivotal but missing father whose death remained unexplained, and whose memory was as poorly detailed as the home movies that featured him.

There was a homogenized blandness to the proceedings that had me wondering if this project was backed by the Mormons or some other white-bread Christian group.... Despite the profanity, it had a fundamentalist ring to it. As a result, I had to keep focusing my attention consciously instead of being drawn in. The story may be based on actual events, but I had a hard time believing in it because almost everyone was isolated and self-centered. And so I remained unmoved by the plight of a handsome young narcissist who miraculously mends his ways thanks to the homeless black angel "Gabe"(riel), reminiscent of a Bulworth plot device.

All in all, it just goes to show what GQ looks and financial backing will do for a fella (who is this Tommy Bell producer-dude anyway?).... but I'm crashing the party here. Both the film and all the gushing about it smacks of major pretense. In fact, "Self Medicated" almost made me wish I was when I sat through it.

If it had not been for the wonderful Santa Fe Film Festival it is unlikely that I would have ever had the pleasure of seeing this little gem of a movie. In my view, Diane Venora is one of the most underrated actresses of her generation. She was just incredible in this film, just as she is in any other movie she's in that I can think of, but this is certainly among her most powerful performances. The scene in the bedroom on the floor - just heartbreaking. If there is any justice in the world then this movie should find its way into theaters and I definitely recommend seeing it. If you're a fan of quality acting then you will not be disappointed because everyone in the movie is simply excellent, especially Diane Venora and the young man who plays her son. Certainly one of the best movies I can recall seeing in a very long time. I wish they would bring more quality independent films like this to New Mexico apart from just the film festivals. Thank goodness for the Santa Fe Film Festival for finding wonderful films like this for all of us to discover. What a treat!

I must confess a big reason I adored this movie so much is because of Kristina Anapau, who is not only smoking hot in this film, but is absolutely perfect in her role. I also loved Monty Lapica's performance, who totally amazes in this film as well. Fortunately, the twists in this film keep this from being anything close to a formulaic movie. The tension builds steadily. Michael Bowen from Kill Bill makes an excellent bad guy, as always, who you love to hate. And there are several other good supporting roles, especially that of Greg Germann, who I used to watch on Ally McBeal.

I found out that this is the director's first film and I have to say he succeeds with flying colors in creating an original, beautiful, poignant and good natured picture.

This film is something very special.

Go see it! It's all true. It's subtle, down-to-earth, and allows the audience to observe and relate to the characters. The mother and son who are the main characters in this film have a life crisis to deal with, and both become alienated by their own self-destructive behavior. For me, I felt a very strong connection to the characters, their loneliness, and general fear about what to do and how to create/sustain their lives.

It's a real and true to life kind of film. If you cannot be sensitive for a couple of hours you certainly won't appreciate it, but if you can it is well worth the time. I think that everybody should have an experience that causes you to take stock of your life.

I really enjoyed the hell out of this film. Definitely the best indie movie I can remember seeing in quite a while. Very entertaining with a thoughtful and intelligent script. It was rather dark at times yet there were some very funny and touching moments as well. I laughed out loud in several places. The acting was very solid all around, especially for an indie, which isn't often the case. Diane Venora was awesome. Why in the hell is she not in more movies? Who knows? I loved the music, very ethereal, reminded me of Sigur Ros. There is one scene in this movie that I just cannot get out of my head ever since I saw it, perhaps one of the most powerful single scenes I have ever seen in any movie, indie or otherwise. I'm trying to figure out why it hit me as hard as it did. But I guess I'll have to see this movie again before I decide if it's really as good as I think it might be.