Winter's End

Nice to see an independent film set in countryside I know. Anyway, it is a pretty good independent production, with as good performances as I've seen in any indie. For a movie set in rural Ireland, the accents weren't too hard to understand. If I had a fault with the film, it would be in the pacing. It needed a little faster pace. Also, the music, it was OK, got a little annoying after a while. Other than that, I was very happy with the DVD I purchased thru www.Indieflix.com, very good picture and sound. If you like suspense, and something a little different, then go check this one out, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Why the high reviews for this film? This film is almost impossible to watch. It is gruesome, ridiculous, violent, and ignorant. It is also very poorly made with no cinematic qualities of interest - not acting, cinematography, editing, well, or anything worthy at all! What in the world are people finding of value here? It is not entertaining, not interesting, borderline laughable, with no message or point of view. How can viewers give it high ratings? Are the ratings all from people with money interest in the movie?

Winner "Best Picture" 2005 Hollywood dv Film Festival - My sixteen year old son Travis, a junior at Booker VPA film school, Sarasota, FL, and I flew into Hollywood for the 2005 DV Film festival taking place at Raleigh Studio's across the street from Paramount. Travis had two films accepted to the Festival this year so we sat through as many of the films as our butts could tolerate the entire week. Winter's End was absolutely brilliant! The writing, acting, cinematography, music, sound effects, editing and directing were outstanding. The story unfolds on the most beautiful country side farm land and holds your attention from beginning to end. I had a chance to meet Patrick and Carol Kenny at the awards party and would like to say they are the nicest most genuine people you could ever meet. Thank you Patrick for spending time with Travis and "farming the film experience" in an imaginative sixteen year old.

Best Wishes to you. Regards rich

Winter's End is a Stylish Low Budget Thriller which I saw at this year's Galway Film Fleadh. It is a cross between " Misery " and " The Field ". Winter's End tells the story of Amy Rose live on a farm with her two brothers Henry and Sean and we follow Amy's progress from abuse and oppression at the hands of her older brother Henry, to independence and freedom. The acting, cinematography, music editing and directing are all of a very high standard. It has been recently nominated for two Irish Film and Television Awards (www.ifta.ie) in Best Actress for Jillian Bradbury and Best Music for Gregory Magee in a Feature Film. Definitely worth a viewing.

Yes, it's messy. Yes, it's divisive. But calling it "ignorant" misses the mark. There's clearly thought behind the chaos-commentary on morality, faith, and madness running beneath the surface. This is the kind of film that rewards a second look. It isn't trying to please the mainstream, and while the execution may fall short at times, the ambition is undeniable. The cinematography might not be perfect, but it creates a mood. And the editing choices, while jarring, evoke disorientation for a reason. For what it is, it's more successful than it gets credit for. It challenges you to sit with discomfort, not escape it.