Name: Everything Strange and New
Genre: Drama
Released: 2011-02-25
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Rigo Chacon Jr., Jered Daniel, Hannah Kern

Flawed and sometimes frustrating, but not without promise or originality

For the first half hour, I really thought this film was going to knock me out. It's combination of disturbing experimental elements; strange, loud Glenn Branca like rock music that banged in and out, long shots that were just studies of faces or rooftops, etc. It seemed like it would be a portrait of working class life that was more poetic and surreal than literal. 

But gradually the film gets more 'normal', and a regular story comes into play; the familial relationships and romances of three working class buddies. There are some striking moments of honesty and surprise, but some serious problems, first among them being that these unknown actors aren't quite up to the delicate complex task of taking these people and making us believe them as real. Under-acting alone isn't enough to ground a character film. That under-acting still has to be filled with interior life. But here, too often, the performances just feel a little amateurish and monotone. There's also a running fantasy element that's a bit sophomoric. 

That said, there's enough strength and originality in the visual style, and a number of unexpected story points that overall I still found this worthwhile, and will be very interested to see what Mr. Bradshaw does in future. It's just too bad this is just a good, somewhat awkward film, rather than the transcendent film the opening minutes promise.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

EVERYTHING STRANGE AND NEW is an intimate portrait of ordinary people and their longing for certainty in uncertain times.

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Everything Strange and New

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