Paint the Eyes First

Cast: Michael Kristy, Aileen Archambault, Brendan Geiger, Michael Sadowsky, Matthew Levesque, Charles Corey Judith Maloney

Director: Michael Kristy

James (Michael Kristy) is on the run from Noah (Michael Sadowsky) and his drug fueled past. By day he works at a local bookstore and at night he finds shelter where he can. While trying to break into a music conservatory, he is caught by the janitor Alex (Brendan Geiger), who is secretly staying there with his wife Sam (Aileen Archambault) to save money so they can move to New York to start a new life. After Alex bonds with Sam and tells her he is on the path to get clean, she convinces Alex to let James stay there so they can help him on his quest. Little do any of them realize the ultimate impact they have on each other's lives and how much they can learn from one another.

This is a first for me, not only reviewing a user submitted film but also a student film. I’m glad I did. Despite being an amateur production, the film features a trio of strong performances wrapped in an unfocused yet engrossing story about addiction and overcoming your past.

The film is very minimalist, mostly taking place at the music conservatory where the characters live. It speaks volumes to Kristy (who wrote, directed, edited and starred in the film) that you’re so engrossed in the story that you do not notice its budgetary limitations. When the movie is focused on James’ addiction, it's riveting. Unlike other films that would be tempted to go into graphic detail of James’ addiction, this film focuses instead on his struggle for sobriety. I don’t know if this was due to budget constraints but this approach works in the film's favor.

James is a character trapped by his circumstances and while we don’t see his decision to get sober, we want to see him succeed. A lot of James’ struggle, especially the internal one, feels genuine and Kristy plays it well. His relationship with Archambault’s Sam is a compassionate one that very easily could have slipped into romance. This is something Kristy wisely avoids and lets the natural chemistry and friendship between the two blossom. The imagery of James sinking further and further in the ocean while tentacled creatures circle around him is a strong visual for James’ addiction and surprisingly well done for the minimal budget this was filmed with.

While the actors are great, the script is all over the place with characterization. Through no fault of the actor, I was completely confused by Noah as a character. A late in the game twist that connects him even more to James' story further muddies his characterization and adds some unnecessary tension that takes focus away from James' journey towards sobriety. Another character who is all over the map is Alex. While Geiger is good in the role, the character seems to change his mind about James from scene to scene. Especially late in the film, this felt unnecessary. His relationship with Sam is also one of the weaker aspects of the script. From the start, their dialogue feels forced and unnatural and though it gets better as the film progresses, it just mostly serves as exposition. I didn’t care about them the way I did about Sam and James.

The characters and minimalistic approach help elevate this film above many of the other amateur productions I've seen. Kristy is a workhorse and his effort in front of and behind the camera is felt in every frame of the film. It's not easy to make a movie but Kristy proves he has talent to spare.

Grade: B

Paint the Eyes First is available on YouTube.