Change Your Image
davidusner
Reviews
Repatriation (2017)
This film unfolds beautifully
I had no idea what to expect from this film and was very pleasantly surprised. This was a simple film of a journey inside a journey, a Pilgrim's Progress if you will. Someone searching for peak moments in their past which only opens up a flood of what is far less pleasant. This film unfolds beautifully as the main character goes from place to place falling deeper into the abyss.
The music works all the way through and the strong cast really delivers.
Let's Ruin It with Babies (2014)
Loved this film
So, where to start. This film was just a delightful surprise. I had no idea what to expect and was so happy I selected this film to watch. The acting was wonderful. Every one of the actors turned in a fabulous performance from top to bottom. As someone who teaches acting, I was struck by the truth of all of the characters.
And I loved the premise. It wasn't some simple road story. It was a carefully crafted story with some simple twists and turns. The dialogue was clean and concise, always driving toward the conclusion. I like that.
The little montages of editing that happened often in the film made me feel the warmth of the friendships. The editing was a high point for me.
Lastly, the RV was so much fun. As a Bay Area resident I wish I had seen this vehicle. I wonder if it had been to Burning Man.
I highly recommend this film. Congrats to the filmmaker.
Ask Me Anything (2014)
This is a sleeper that I would recommend to anyone
I just watched this film and it surprised me. From the blurb about this film I expected it to be trite and just a piece of fluff that would entertain for an evening. How wrong I was or how wrong the summary was. This film was so much more than mindless entertainment and kept expanding every step of the way. The mixture of flashbacks and her imagined life were so touching against the backdrop of her struggle with her current life. This is a sleeper that I would recommend to anyone. The acting was superb and the character of Kate was adorable. The production qualities were very top notch. And the writing wove a very complicated story into a tapestry of challenges for the young Kate that had me identifying with her over and over. There were small moments where I wondered why a scene was there or if the story was driven forward by that scene but they were so fleeting that I gave this film a 9-star rating. When this film ended I was both disturbed and moved. That moment in our life when things start come into focus but only if we are ready to see them. If I had made this film I would be super proud of the result.
Transatlantic Coffee (2012)
A delightful indie film
I am a real fan of independent films and this one was truly a delightful. For my taste indie filmmakers often offer a raw and unapologetic look at relationships. And Transatlantic Coffee is no different. From beginning to end the script keeps revealing more and more about two unlikely people in a chance romance, how they think and why they make the choices they make. Erik Peter Carlson does a magnificent job of softly crafting this story about these lonely souls trying to do an end run around their insecurities to catch the last train out of the station. Rachel Marie Lewis touched my heart. I wanted to take her home and care of her. Kevin Panazzi allows the audience to find and identify with that part in us that just can't get out of the way. I've been married a long time but I can still remember those days of wondering how I could possibly kiss that girl or what I could possibly say that would not make me look foolish. This film shined a light on that guy in me who sits on the bench while life is screaming by.