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It's hard to tell that Moon Ring is an indie movie.
Overall Recommendation:
4 stars
Premise:
4 stars
Story structure:
4 stars
Character:
3 stars
Dialogue:
4 stars
Emotion:
3 stars
October 03, 2011
Visually, Moon Ring is gorgeous. Between the calculated shot composition and the excellent lighting, one would be hard-pressed to assume this was an independent film without some fairly intense scrutiny. One terrific example of this would be the church scene between Maddy and adult Lizzie, which features extremely natural lighting and shot framing. And the numerous visual effects serve to further blur the lines between the indies and the so-called "pros" with their style and consistency. The amount of work that must have gone into rotoscoping ghostly Gabriel is simply mind-boggling.
The sound is great. It's easy to overlook the importance of non-visual elements during production, but sound is held to the highest standards in Moon Ring. The music both fits and amps up the mood in certain shots with gusto; case and point, the driving scene with Maddy and David, which blends the stunning visuals of the mountains with the carefree nature of the teenagers having a good time. And the subtle use of ambient noise really breathes even more life into otherwise intriguing scenes, especially the dreams or flashbacks.
The acting is a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have characters such as David who seem to be portrayed by relative amateurs and whose performances are, unfortunately, easily forgotten. On the other hand, supporting characters such as the bumbling gardener Darryl light up their scenes with an ease and fluidity that smacks of natural talent. I think there are more positives than negatives in this regard.
The style and pacing of Moon Ring, combined with the intrigue associated with the mysterious link between Maddy and the phantom of Gabriel, make it easy for a viewer to sit back and just be entertained. There's definitely room for improvement, but isn't that how it is for any film?
The sound is great. It's easy to overlook the importance of non-visual elements during production, but sound is held to the highest standards in Moon Ring. The music both fits and amps up the mood in certain shots with gusto; case and point, the driving scene with Maddy and David, which blends the stunning visuals of the mountains with the carefree nature of the teenagers having a good time. And the subtle use of ambient noise really breathes even more life into otherwise intriguing scenes, especially the dreams or flashbacks.
The acting is a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have characters such as David who seem to be portrayed by relative amateurs and whose performances are, unfortunately, easily forgotten. On the other hand, supporting characters such as the bumbling gardener Darryl light up their scenes with an ease and fluidity that smacks of natural talent. I think there are more positives than negatives in this regard.
The style and pacing of Moon Ring, combined with the intrigue associated with the mysterious link between Maddy and the phantom of Gabriel, make it easy for a viewer to sit back and just be entertained. There's definitely room for improvement, but isn't that how it is for any film?