The Waiter

I attended a private screening of this film in Los Angeles last week. The screening went very well and the director took time to talk to everyone that was willing to talk to him. I was very impressed with the overall production of this film. Many of the people attending were a bit over the top with praise of the film. However, this is not to say that I think they were wrong in this level of praise. The film was a good film, very deep yet still entertaining. The most remarkable aspect of the film was the budget and the conditions by which these filmmakers completed this monumental task. I have been in production for nearly 15 years and the only comparison I could draw would be that of El Mariachi. I would say that this film wins out in acting performances and level of talent they were able to attract for little money. The look and production value also were outstanding. With that said, the film had the typical low budget production flaws. The lighting was good, the picture the camera gave was great, sound was good (however they said it hadn't been completed yet so I expect it will be very good), coverage could have been better, however the shots were at times very captivating. The thing that struck me most about the film and the reason why everyone seemed to be jumping on the band wagon was more about the charisma of the director. The film at times was vague and obtuse and demanded the audiences full attention. Many attendees I literally saw light bulbs appear above their heads during the Q&A. The director had a very strong vision and was extremely articulate in his answers. All in all, I would say that this film will probably have a strong DVD release, there is some dark humor so maybe even a cult following. I do think that the director and his partners will be very successful given the projects to come that he presented at the screening. I recommend any aspiring film makers or students rent this film, or buy it, it will show you a lot about how to do it right the first time.

This film premiered at Palm Beach Film Festival, which I attended in Boca. I was attracted to this film as a fan of the work of Charles Durning. The film, however, was a far different film than I was use to and expected from him. The festival did a poor job of informing the attendees of what the film was about. The film was very violent and hard. Not at all my cup of tea, I was expecting a film paying homage to film noir from the way it was presented.

I can understand how this might please a much younger crowd, however I found it difficult to keep up with. I will say that the dialogue was clever, acting very strong, and the shot composition was really impressive.

Despite my mixed feelings about the 'raw' nature of the film I have to give it very high marks. The director spoke after the screening and explained the film and it honestly brought my feelings of it to a higher level. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to actually have to think about what I was seeing. It was a refreshing change of perspective, but it made me appreciate what I had dismissed before as mindless killings and vulgarity.

For the amount of money and experience that the director had the film looked very sharp and sent a powerful message.

Props for doing what you love to the writer, director and lead but to be perfectly honest, this effort totally stinks. Bad acting. Bad editing. Bad writing and a bad movie. I can't believe I'm still watching it after 45 minutes. There is no story and the lead is flat. Very flat. Even the camera work stinks. I wish I could find one redeeming quality but I can't. Waste of $1,000,000. Sigh. At least the rental was only .50 cents. Ok, here's one good thing to learn from this. How not to make a movie.

Don't let the studio looks or stars fool you. The Waiter is a labor of love "indie" style. Shot outside the confines of LA and overblown budgets of the millions with similar results...this LOW six figure production takes...and clearly makes it's mark with a stellar cast (unheard of for the budget constraints) and helmed by the very able Producers including Jason Konopisos on his Directorial debut. With his remarkable and seasoned crew, Mr. Konopisos takes the audience on a journey into the viceral elements of the human soul. "The Waiter's" crippled take on redemption through the eyes of this true anti-hero is one only Dante could relate to in the midst of Purgatory. A sweet blend of mythology and modern Western society. Joseph Campbell fans...this is a must see. Filmmakers...this is a true lesson in making an indie film.

I am not one to watch a film several times, especially within the same night, but I had to watch it twice. Watching this film through very conservative eyes with a military and oil industry background gives me a fairly different perspective from most film festival viewers. But I agree with most of the previous comments in that it is a must see.

I personally know several people involved in the creation of this film. I have heard about it for quite a while, but never saw any footage or really understood the films premise until I saw it.

I was really impressed with the high quality of the filming as well as the acting for considering the budget. The film has many levels of thought, as well as a significant entertainment value.

The director/writer has created a strong foundation for future cuts and sequels. I am looking forward to seeing what can be done with more time and resources...as long as the production is able to maintain the depth and quality of this artistic film.