P.J.

I recently saw this when it came out at the Laemmle. I have to say, not bad at all! For a low budget flick, the filmmakers really put a lot of creative effort to bring it to life. I was impressed with Patricia Rae and Vincent Pastore. Howard Nash did a great job as the guy with burned hands, holding his own against veteran actor John Heard. The director, whose this is his first feature, put together an ambitious effort, especially given the cast and the beautiful shots of New York City. I see he has another film on the horizon called Chasing the Green, looking forward to that. Oh, and there's the score too. It complements this film from beginning to end. I highly recommend people see this film, you won't be disappointed. Thanks for listening.

With the line between what is low/no budget and "Indy" growing wider every day, PJ is a great representation of what true independent film making should be. Made on a shoestring budget by first time director Russ Emanuel, PJ succeeds where many features with ten times the budget fail. Delivering a skillfully shot, brilliantly scored and well acted piece of dramatic entertainment. The only real criticism should be in the screenplay which I felt was a bit too self motivated and had tendencies toward contrived, overly sentimental plot paths rather than establishing rich, dimensional characters that drive the story. This, unfortunately, led to some weak performances from the main character played by John Heard as well as a few of the ancillary, smaller characters. Patricia Rae, Howard Nash and Vincent Pastore, however, pick up the pieces and deliver some significant performances worthy of the accolades that the film has so far garnered. If for nothing else, watch this film for the cinematography by Seth Melnick and the soundtrack by Neil Argo. Both are stellar for the size of the production.

The acting is top-notch, the story too. But then again, any individual opposed to organized religion will absolutely love this movie. The 3 major religions all say someone (an ordinary person)will be "chosen" to intervene & save the lives of others, and will then pass this power on to someone else. That is the crux of this story. All the main characters are(alternatively)intrigued and threatened by the patient who knows their story. What to do? Commit him, or hear what he has to say? It's the challenge the Bible says we must all one day face. At the end of the day, it's discovered that PJ's there to help others and not snare them. I loved it!

PJ, based on the award-winning play, is about a man (known only as PJ), brought to a hospital with severe amnesia and apparent insanity. Armed with only the man's initials and a phone number held by someone who refuses to stay on the line, Dr. Shearson, the hospital's leading psychiatric specialist, sets out on a personal journey to find out who PJ is, and bring him back to reality.

The effect PJ has on Dr. Shearson and all the other people around him is poignant and far from the expected. As the film progresses, you are lured into the darkest, yet understandable reaches of each character, and you walk away wiping your eyes. Although I haven't seen Howard Nash in a film before, he is surely a rare, emerging talent, whose career is well-worth following.

For an independent film, I found that seeing so many known and talented performers such as John Heard, Robert Picardo, Patricia Rae, Vincent Pastore, Glynnis O'Connor and Hallie Kate Eisenberg very captivating, refreshing and entertaining.

PJ's original violin and orchestral music, composed by Neil Argo, is inspiring and spiritual - it evokes feelings of grace and redemption while intensifying the emotional bonds with PJ's characters.

This film is for anyone that believes there's good in the universe.

A must see movie from new on the scene director Russ Emanuel. This is a wonderful story that really makes one stop and think about what is important in life. I found it very easy to relate to the emotions of some of the characters. The characters are well developed and leaves one really feeling like they got to know them. A real bonus is that the shots of New York are completely fantastic. I practically felt like I was there myself. It is amazing what they have done on such a limited budget. P.J. is a real tribute to independent films. I can't wait to see what comes next from Russ Emanuel. I hope that it is as strong a film as P.J.