For the debut picture - it's a beautiful work, a great intimate piece of art. Sustained aesthetics and atmosphere. A special thanks to the designers.
The visual and audio inserts are authentic in their own way, and as an artist, I enjoyed watching and listening. . .
Is this a film about decision making?
I see love between the two main characters, unconditionally. And I see that both of them don't know what to do with it, just as they don't know what to do with themselves. There is much confusion in both souls, and this loss has drawn them. Despite the apparent difference of fates, the desire to get lost drives them incomprehensible where.
And I think the main character found his end of the world, he got lost, as he always wanted, and found him. I'm not sure he understood that.
Are they both used to their independence and afraid to break each other’s independence, or are they afraid to lose theirs? These are just my modest subjective conclusions. I'm trying to understand the point.
Honestly, I got a lot of fun, I am a lover of ambiguity, depth and quality aesthetics. And here all this is, just as much as necessary. And a background study of cultures and differences in mentality (but people everywhere can remain people, and openness and sincerity open the way for mutual understanding), although what exactly is the background here? A love story against the background of post-Soviet Armenia or Armenia against the background of a fragile love story. Both lines are in such harmonious interpenetration that they are in fact inseparable from each other. And it would be difficult to imagine the development of this story further, somewhere in San Francisco. Maybe that's the answer. . .
Or maybe it's about people thinking they're independent and grown-up, and actually being afraid to make a decision that will change everything forever. Is it impossible for this story to continue? I don't know. Maybe yes, maybe not.
I think on this film I realized that I love festival independent film. And also, lately, I come across a lot of debut works, and, frankly, they are some unique and special, very personal, intimate ... it pleases ... or rather warms the soul.
I almost never write negative reviews. However, the film "A Moment of Love" prompted me to write one.
The annotation tells us about a love story that arises between representatives of different countries, America and Armenia. This topic could be developed in the most interesting way - play on the differences of their cultures, pay attention to the process of their adaptation to each other and so on. But that wasn't the case!
We see a faceless and completely spinless story, even though it was based on it. The very concept of the origin of special chemistry between the heroes was not worked out at all. The first meeting of the heroes, Willa (Ben Foster) and Gadarine (Lubna Azabal) was rather like this: two different people accidentally wandered into a dubious cafe and want to leave. And suddenly they start talking.
The main characters are of no interest to the viewer, and not only because they do not reveal their love story. They're just emotionless. Fortunately, it is impossible to say about soullessness here: sometimes there are some glimpses. With the secondary characters, the situation is a little better - there is a tiny bit of energy in them. But she didn’t really help the story.
Very weak dramatic and secondary events, which were more like interruptions between the main events, which were filmed just in case, so that there was something to lengthen the overall timing of the film. Duration affected, quality - not very.
Unpleasantly affects the viewer and the general monotony of the narrative, which can not save even some beautiful music. You can’t even listen to music...
Also, the viewer can pay attention to one component of the plot, which was a mixture of strange editing and voiceover.
The broken speed of transitions between frames hits the eyes - it is impossible to capture any frame in memory for a long time.
The voiceover, probably, was supposed to illustrate the inner world of the hero, play metaphorically. By a tiny 5%, it did, but it still seemed like it didn't belong in that atmosphere. If it was conceived as a counterpoint, then a positive result would not work.
3 out of 10
(Only for more or less beautiful views of Armenia)
I don't recommend it. (Please spend 2 hours watching something else.)
I was interested in this film because of the great actor Ben Foster. I have long considered him talented and promising. It's a pity he doesn't have many films and few decent offers. From an early age, he is a very versatile actor and skillfully embodies any characters on the screen.
The second thing I noticed when I went to the page of the film was that it was shot in Armenia, and then I had no doubt that I should watch this film.
But by the 40th minute of the film, I lost interest in this picture and I will explain why.
I take a lot into account when watching movies and especially when I write reviews on them – I forgive actors, directors, screenwriters a lot, I try to get into a position, etc. But here, as much as I want to praise it, unfortunately, it does not work. There is not even an excuse - this is the vision of the director (emphasis on the first syllable).
Let me explain why:
In the first , timekeeping. If you are looking for a two-hour movie, please make it so that the viewer is hooked, so that he was interested in watching it and make him want to watch it. Fortunately, I am not one of those people who throw a film on the half, I patiently always watch movies, because most often in the end there is buried the same “salt” that you have been waiting for all 2-3 hours.
But there was no “salt” here. Nothing happened. .
Again, I will explain, I never read the descriptions and accordingly did not know what other actors will play in the film and what it will actually be discussed.
The second huge minus of the film is "beauty" Gadarine. In her I did not see any beauty, or at least a zest, nor “big, sad, Armenian eyes”, nor normal command of the Armenian language, nor even normal command of English, according to what criteria she was selected for this role for me remained a mystery, after all, she is not even Armenian! Personally, I was quite uncomfortable looking at her. In my opinion, this role would be perfect for the charming Angela Sarafyan, who is successfully filmed in Hollywood and Armenia.
The third and very big disadvantage of the film is the lack of real Armenian music. How can one show all this beauty without the accompaniment of the duduk, an Armenian folk musical instrument, which contains all the sadness and sorrow of the Armenian people? In my opinion, this is just blasphemy on the part of the director! Instead, throughout the film, I heard some Arabic motifs. I don’t know what the director meant.
The fourth negative is the people, the Armenians, who were shot in the film, or rather, how they were presented. Throughout the film, wherever the main characters go, they are constantly treated to vodka. Why, the director and screenwriter decided that in Armenia at every opportunity to drink vodka? It struck me the most, as I have never seen such a thing in this country for most of my life and have never heard of it to this day. In general, this is another “original” idea / fiction of the director.
The fifth downside is that if you make a film about the country, about nature, etc., be kind to tell about this country, about some legends (because there are many of them there), show some hiding beautiful corners, which there is a pond. Where were all the old, beautiful monasteries and churches? After all, in these two hours so beautiful and interesting could be shown.
In general, I am terribly sorry for the forces that the actors and the crew spent on creating this film, because all their efforts, personally for me, were meaningless and the film does not carry anything pleasant / useful / instructive, for which they can safely say thank you to the person who calls himself a director.
A boring, uninspiring, emotionless movie. You could have done such a thing!
With deep disappointment and resentment, I color my review in red.
I give this film 4 points, solely for Ben’s desire to star in a film about my native Armenia.
“A Moment of Love” is a poetic and largely philosophical picture, to some extent being autobiographical, with the director’s reflections on Armenia and the story that happened to him in this beautiful and little-known country. Basically, this is a melancholy road trip, which shows the viewer the country well and, if you want, opens the door to thinking about the eternal.
Two different people, a man and a woman, suddenly bump into each other in a cafe. American cartographer Will and successful art photographer – Armenian Gadarin. Just a few minutes of communication and the two feel mutual magnetism. They work together to complement and help each other. Their fates intersect closely to ultimately help find the direction of their lives.
Visually, the film is full of light and bright colors, which of course pleases the eye and sometimes breathtaking. The beautiful landscapes, with philosophical commentary from director Coit Peter, sluggishly tell the moral of the story. But most of all, I liked the work of the cameraman, who shows the most mysterious places and images of Armenian villages in a way that does not require any comment. The minimal musical accompaniment only adds to the meditative aspect of the film. Viewing is very soothing and even helps to dot the “i” in some controversial life issues. The movie will be very interesting for movie lovers and travel lovers.
At last year's independent film festival "Sundence" was presented the first feature-length film directed by Braden King "A Moment of Love". This work is close to the domestic audience, since it was completely filmed on the territory of the former Soviet Union, and now on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
As the director himself admitted, the inspiration to make this film for him was a trip to this very state in 2004, and after watching this picture, there is no doubt that most of the script contains autobiographical material. For a Western audience, director Braden King has provided a full-fledged "road movie" where the main characters travel the country and meet different people.
If we take "A Moment of Love" as an excursion to Armenia, the director managed to realize his idea, a lot of panoramic shooting, landscape background of nature and gray life of the local population. But why the director decided to show the relationship between the main characters, an American and an ethnic Armenian, I could not understand.
Actor Ben Foster is an incredibly talented actor of his generation, no doubt able to withstand any difficult role, but here he was not competitors, and I say this not as a compliment to the actor, he was the only performer of the main role, and for two hours of screen time showed absolutely nothing.
It turned out a certain inconsistency of the two ideas of the director, with one, in terms of getting acquainted with Armenia he managed, and to unleash the melodrama - no. Told at the beginning of the picture, the ballad about cartographers, it would seem, should become the final touch of the story of the main character, he eventually turned out to be a philosophical parable that one director can understand.
5 out of 10
The first film with high-quality cinematography and directorial work, shot in modern Armenia, which I watched. It is noteworthy that I cannot judge the film objectively. I always thought I didn’t recognize my own country. It felt like filming was taking place in a Muslim third world country.
The European silence was also dissonant throughout the film, for me Armenia was always filled with sound, smell and color. The Armenian language through the mouth of Lubna Azabel just annoyed, because according to the plot, the heroine grew up in Yerevan.
The actors are impeccable. Two people who like to leave to get lost.
An interesting, albeit slightly strange film by Braden King tells about the difficult relationship of two different people. He is an American cartographer who came to Armenia for work. She is an Armenian photographer who returned to her father’s home after a long absence. What do they have in common other than English? One thing is, they're both fugitives. She left Armenia a long time ago because it was difficult for her to be here. He is a person who just likes to leave because his main goal is to get lost to find the end of the world.
The plot of the film develops smoothly, the dynamics of action is very small, since the main goal of King to reveal the characters of the characters, try to get to the inner cockroaches that torment the soul of each of them. And the background of this intricate relationship is the indescribably beautiful landscapes of Armenia, on which the director concentrates the attention of the viewer from the first shots. At the same time, sometimes the landscape insert is so long that it seems as if you are watching an Air Force film, not a feature film. But that doesn’t ruin it.
As for the actors, of course, it is worth highlighting Ben Foster, who has long deserved my respect. His ability to transform found a place in this picture. Here he is presented as a gloomy bearded man with glasses, meticulously performing his professional duties. However, it should be noted that this is not the best role of Foster, since in his filmography there were roles that require more emotional return from him. And in "Here" despite the stated melodrama, he keeps somehow a little removed from his girlfriend, and the internal connection between them is not so strong. The main drawback of the film is that it lacks soul. And the main advantage is that there is no climax. There is only an exhibition in the form of a voiceover that brings its philosophy to this story. The finale of the tape is natural - everyone went his own way. Maybe they'll cross paths on the map someday, maybe not. Anyway, that's a whole other story. Typical turnaround for independent cinema.
Do not consider “Here” as a melodrama in the full extent of this word. Within such a multi-layered genre, it may seem superficial and not deep, since the main characters have not fully opened their souls to the viewer. Many questions remained open. He also has little relation to the genre of adventure, since he is very poor in the events taking place in it. Rather, it is a skillful symbiosis of both elements.
In general, a very decent debut work, although difficult to understand, as well as most independent projects. So if you are not a fan of the genre, it is better not to watch it, as it may seem boring and drawn out.
Losing was the goal – Will Shepherd
Clipmaker Braden King in 2000 met Denis Valent, with whom they quickly found a common language and interests, and soon began to discuss the abstract idea of Braden to make a film about a cartographer, talk about which dragged on as much as four years. One of the main goals that the director set for himself was to show a piece of the world not yet marked on the “cinematic map”, to guide the viewer along with his characters through an exciting journey and capture with the camera, something she has never seen before, at least in American cinema. Two ideas came together after King’s visit to Armenia – when he came to this country in 2004, he realized that he had found what he was looking for, and so began the story of the film Here, which tries to make a tour not only around the country, where it is easy to get lost and almost no one speaks English, but also according to the feelings of two people who are different from Armenia.
This director’s debut film is shot in the best (or worst, this is to your taste) traditions of modern young independent cinema – it is silent, slow, combines explosive events and everyday elements, and does not try to explain anything to you, at least morally and openly. Not very successful localization of the name can be quite confusing - what, and sentimental young ladies and handkerchiefs for viewing is not necessary to prepare - a scrap novel by an American cartographer and Armenian photographer, who returned to the country after a long absence, is another way of knowing the hero of Ben Foster a new country for himself. His character, Will Shepherd, who is in a language vacuum, is attracted by a woman who can speak to him in his native language, since, like many Americans, he believes that the whole world should understand English, so he does not even try to master a few colloquial phrases. Will behaves on the one hand as an ordinary tourist, explaining himself with the help of improvisations, scribbling on papers, and smiles, but on the other hand his hero is also a reflection of a person who is trying to escape while traveling, which does not allow him to be called average.
"Lost was the goal," he says. And from that moment, the director begins to gradually reveal Will’s inability to normal relationships – what seemed to be the minimalist style of the young author, in fact, is a manifestation of the fearfulness of the main character, who is not capable of either promises, loud words, or even a beautiful love story with all the ensuing. He can confess his importance only before he leaves, when his romantic act has no response. In his profession lies all his desire to run away, and about his Californian home he says like “I live there sometimes”, concluding that he has no home. But Braden King didn’t balance the two elements of the story too much, didn’t do much to make them logical continuations of each other, as he was fixated on the main idea of the film, that is, shooting a road movie imitating a tour of Armenia. In addition, he added several conceptual episodes to Here, which are not too combined with the almost untouched landscapes of Armenia and loftily destroy the harmony of the picture. As a result, for many it will be a film where Ben Foster silencing vodka in liters, and then helplessly spews it from the bowels of his body right behind the border guards post, while his girlfriend puffs up for them both. The director would do well to be able to make the movie compact, somewhat warmer and emotional - so that the picture did not become hysterical, but at the same time it could be said that the sensual part of the tour was successful.
She is the center of earthly wisdom; Armenian Madonna; Oriental priestess from a cave painting, tart, spicy and lonely.
He is the embodiment of change; a breath of fresh air; the western wind gusts of up to 10 meters per second; a childishly charming beard.
Attraction, collision and consequences are inevitable.
A good third of the film thought: well, here is a romantic guide to Armenia, another national film project about the post-Soviet Transcaucasia for Western travelers. And then I realized, no, no, it doesn't matter if it's local. Memories of how it was in my life, what paths of love I walked, what line I drew on my love map.
Some get an accurate map with the designation of all the snares and dead ends, others - blurred, illuminated pictures, the third - only vague visions - who is lucky. This is a film about love, about those and for those whose hearts are truly open to that feeling.