River

I found that this turned out great, I would recommend to anyone to give it a watch! Attacking them current world issues like a boss!

The concepts and events in this film portray the realities of life for some people living on or near border towns. I found this film to be alluring, deep, tragic and impactful. I really enjoyed this movie and the work actors put in along with the other film developers.

Great work on this no-budget production by a dedicated crew and cast from the Borderland. Following a story line that is easy for people to relate to, with an interesting group of characters. This series has gritty twists and turns. It is not easy to tackle a production of this size, especially in a locality not generally known for film making. There are many challenges to overcome when funds are low or non-existent, and resources are hard to come by. Here we have a team of volunteers working on their passion, hoping to make their mark in a highly demanding industry. We're hoping River hits the mark in the crime/drama genre, and puts the Borderland on the map. The next episode is going to be off the hook!

This film is the brainchild of Mark Vasconcellos, who is clearly the Tommy Wiseau of Southern New Mexico. Like Wiseau, he created this film because he wanted to star in a feature film. He has promoted the film, and produced the film, and indeed has produced something similar in many ways to The Room. The biggest difference is thar Wiseau paid his cast and crew. Here, the crew doubled as the cast.

The movie is nominally a crime drama set on the border with drug deals and murdered women and a main character who is disillusioned because his daughter is missing and his wife is in a mental institution. As in the 2012 television show Awake (actually a good show) the main character oscillates among several different realities. Here the difficulty of pinpointing reality is confusing and distracting rather than integral to the plot.

The acting is, for the most part, about the same quality as that in a telenovela: wooden line readings, complete lack of subtlety, actors who don't seem to know why they are saying what they are saying. There's even the occasional Anglo actor putting on a an embarrassing Spanish accent. One exception is the main actor, Andrew Gomez, who seems natural some of the time and would be fun to watch in something with a good script. Jack Lutz also has a good high-stakes moment toward the end of the film.

The script for this movie features some of the most strained and awkward dialogue written by anyone ever. "I am the guru; you, the pupil!" "Because of people like you, the church has received condemnation the world over!" "I did not hit her! I did not! Oh hi, Mark." Just kidding about the last one but you get the idea.

There are moments when it is clear that the writer of the script lacks basic knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, as when a monsignor threatens an insubordinate priest with "I'll be brought up on charges of insubordination: I'll ruin you."

Vasconcellos emphasizes that this movie is supposed to show people the state of the film industry in southern NM, so maybe the right way to look at it is as a screen test rather than a feature film. The camera work is actually surprisingly fine as long as the cinematographer doesn't try anything "artistic." Shots are edited together well. The dialogue is audible. The incidental sound and music on the other hand is sometimes intrusive and often doesn't match the mood of what is going on onscreen. In short, this is a film that the Rifftrax guys need to get hold of. It is sure to be the next Birdemic.

RIVER is not to be missed. Watch for the completion of the film. Gritty, creepy, intertwining relationships wondering who or what could it be? Who can you trust? The story absolutely represents some of the seediness that goes on in the Borderlands with crimes of all shapes & sizes & sadly real life. The filmmakers are incredible & have managed to put together a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat & waiting for more. The casting is superb & the locations are spot on for how life is represented in that part of the U.S. & Mexico. I rate it as a 10 considering it is done with practically no budget. No doubt this could lead into a TV series or an original series as well. Distribution will be a foreign and domestic catch for the world to see. The writing, camera work, casting should all be commended. Great job to everyone involved in the Indie filmmaking world of RIVER.