The story of a love triangle in two uninterrupted halves, Almost in Love mixes a naturalistic style with an ambitious form to create a unique experience. A film that deals with loyalty, friendship and love – and whether a perfect moment can save us from ourselves.
It may seem perverse for a man who makes his living as an editor to try to make a film essentially without edits but Almost in Love is my attempt to combine the natural intimacy and improvisatory style that I love with a more rigorous formal aesthetic. I wanted to see if we could perform this technical sleight-of-hand without sacrificing the emphasis on performance.
Using the audio to pull our focus from one conversation to another, one moment to the next, the film is a blend of performance and technique. Until very recently of course, long takes (anything over about 10 minutes) were a technical impossibility and while the digital revolution has allowed for longer takes, even in the era of HD I hadn’t seen a film that attempted to marry the bravura element of style with the intimacy of a character-driven drama. The challenge of Almost in Love is to present two continuous takes — two single breaths — in which lives are transformed and characters altered in real time.
“Fascinating… a bravura display of hand-held camerawork, sound design and improvisational performance.” – Andy Webster, New York Times
“Impressively acted and gorgeously shot, it’s a testament to what a director of true vision can do with the barest of resources” – New York Magazine CRITIC’S PICK
“a dance that’s perfectly choreographed… constantly engaging.” – Stephanie Merry, Washington Post
“daring… the terrific new two shot high-wire act… is a surprisingly rich meditation on friendship, the difficulty of settling down and the importance of being earnest. Its formal ingenuity and winning cast make it a picture to watch out for.” Brandon Harris, Filmmaker Magazine
“Oddly affecting and well worth a look. Daniel McKeown’s lush cinematography adapts to suit the elements, structure and performers and helps being out the best in all departments… The real find is Marjan Neshat who radiates easy warmth and sexuality.” – Mark Adams, ScreenDaily
“Smartly written… offers an enthusiastic burst of American indie neuroses that conceals deft, near-seamless camerawork.” Genevieve Yue, Reverse Shot
Almost in Love May 29th, 2014admin
