30-Love

2017 • 99 minutes

À propos de ce film

When his wife dies giving birth to their first child, a man starts playing tennis in an effort to hold onto her memory. He neglects his newborn daughter and focuses on winning tennis tournaments. Soon, his family intervenes and they begin a tug-of-war for control of his daughter.

Notes et avis

What's captivating about the film are the technical shots and unusual angles (composition). Superb camera work: the car speeding on the freeway, and Kelly's husband running alone on the busy street at night. The prime visual shot of the film was the magnificent background sunset on campus, as the professor husband walks along the bridge walkway; it is a wow moment! The director pulls it all together with the alternating high energy shots, vis a vis, tranquil transitional scenes (swans, marshes, and distant chiming of bells) and quiet moments ( Kelly's husband is alone with his despondency and random memories of the couple's past). Somehow this works, as the flow is consistent with the roller coaster life and emotions of Kelly's husband. My favorite scenes in the film: Kelly's husband in the biology classroom, contemplating the skeleton. And of course, baby Ty broadly smiling at her father playing tennis. The superb performance of Mark Gagliardi, as David, added that liet motif we all needed for relief that at least someone seems to care about the baby!

This is a *new* movie. That is to say, this isn't a movie with a cast of characters or plot that I've seen in other reiterations time and time again. As I watched, I was uneasy. I kept trying to put the character into tropes and character arcs that I've seen in the past, and it simply didn't happen. This character didn't do what I want or expected, no matter how much I gesticulated. And I gesticulated a lot. Which I like. I don't often get to experience a new character and a new story. And while the character didn't do what I want, I understand his choices, and my worldview is a bit bigger because I watched this.

Worth watching, in my opinion. Note, I do like movies that are slow in pace. There are script and acting issues but I expect this with most of the low budget films I watch. Regardless, if your looking for a strong independent movie to watch this would be worth your time.