BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Red_Identity I definitely sought this out because of a particular reason- Damian Chazelle and Whiplash. Whiplash is an amazing film, intense, full of passion, and so I wanted to see his debut. It's a solid debut, if unremarkable and sort of dull at times. It's very natural and there's really nothing that would indicate the strong intensity in Whiplash. The only similarities are really that instruments and music are at the core (just like, also, the film he co-wrote grand Piano). Yeah, I could see many not liking this at all or liking Whiplash, or even, liking this or not Whiplash because both are so different in style so there's no telling which way the passion will go. I recommend it slightly, but it's not totally recommended and not a home run by any means

br5833 This is a sweet film. I was very impressed with the film editing because the film is beautifully set to a jazz soundtrack motivated by the narrative since the male protagonist ("Guy" of the title) is a jazz trumpet player. The film not only depicts the romance of the leads (Guy and Madeline), but also the city in which they live. I really enjoyed the beautiful city shots, both in Boston and New York. The soundtrack is great - especially the jazz, including that played by Guy, but not only. The film is full of references to French post-war films so it's added fun to watch for the expert as well. The director did a lot with the camera, so it works well that the film is rather sparse in dialog. The actors' faces say everything. The lead performers, in particular, were outstanding: their faces are extraordinarily expressive. The moments when the actors break out in song and dance were just pure fun.

hlmrw100 Save yourself the time and trouble as this is more of a "first-year film student" type of picture. It was painful to watch and my first was reaction was "that was 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back." I should have gone with my first impression and walked out after the first ten minutes. There is basically no plot to speak of, very poor cinematography, no character development, poor acting all around and generally no redeeming qualities to speak of. There were some great opportunities to show some of the more interesting sights and sounds of Boston. However to film instead chooses to show irrelevant close-ups of the actors for no apparent reason. The sound mixing and quality is very "unusual" to say the least and you may want to consider bringing your ear-muffs. The picture qualify is even less finished. There was perhaps one sequence in the entire film which would be considered big screen worthy, that of restaurant dancing/singing number. Overall, one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

Aaron Wiener Shot in black and white on a hand-held 35 mm DXL Supreme MP, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is a period piece without a period, a beautiful glimpse into a world without beauty, a heart-rending portrayal of the heartless. The film swings (no pun intended :)!!) between tortured silences and undistilled brassy mirth, with a fantastic debut performance from trumpeter and lead man Jason Palmer.Chazelle's entrance onto the scene is nothing short of momentous, an omen of good things to come in a struggling industry. He brings art and subtlety back to a genre that has recent been diluted by big Oscar grabs (Chicago, Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records) and will be sure to make an impression at Tribeca.This film would be a perfect ten, were it not for Bernard Chazelle's somewhat tepid makeout scene. Go for it, man! When else will you find yourself with a beautiful and eager girl half your age ... on camera?! Other than this one shortcoming, which will be sure to draw a few tsk-tsks from the monocled section at Tribeca, the film is FLAWLESS.Bravo.