Greetings and Happy Saturday to you, readers! As another weekend is underway, I am reveling in the next offer I was given via my recent Twitter connections to review a newer indie film release from this year. So, as I continue to field these offers, I have ALSO chosen to run with them and have the ongoing chance to see the different facets of the independent film industry that is alive and well here in the United States as well as abroad. So, this comes from right here in the USA and the land of Las Vegas, NV. I present my review of “Jerry”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
From the creative team of Writers/Co-Directors Max Fox, Alex Rock, and Melody Rock, the story brings us to the storied city of Las Vegas and into the Summer break life of University of Oregon college student Jerry (Daniel Rock) who has been given the chance to housesit for a good friend who lives in a quiet Vegas suburb. Once settled in, Jerry knows he needs to get a job, and after a rather simple interview at a local law office, he gains employment as a third shift document filer, while also being advised another night worker, Richmond (Alex Rock), is present in a back office and does NOT like to be disturbed. So begins a rather mundane and monotonous experience for work, albeit eventually leading to Jerry finally meeting Richmond and seeing why he was warned about him. One morning post-shift, Jerry meets a neighborhood boy Steven (Steven Mihranian) who’s injured himself falling off his bike. More than immediately and INSISTENTLY inserting himself into Jerry’s subdued, isolated, and socially awkward existence, the two ultimately form a mild bond of friendship, though we can still tell Jerry has his resistance to it. During an outing to a park, Steven very forwardly introduces himself, and subsequently Jerry, to a girl they see walking her cat, Rachel (Katie Frey). Completely egging Jerry on and trying a tad too hard to get the two to talk, Steven finally convinces Jerry to get Rachel’s number and then begins a whirlwind Summer romance that has its fair share of odd and awkward moments. Their first two “dates” go in decidedly different directions, though each time they hang out, the pair try to discover more and more about each other, and Rachel seems to be showing Jerry an entirely other side of not just Vegas, but of his own being. As the months go by, Jerry and Rachel continue to grow closer, but when a reveal occurs that threatens to break them apart, everyone from Steven (often with some questions that are a tad above his age) to even Richmond weigh in on the matter. Feeling like conflict is everywhere around him, Jerry faces choices and decisions needed to determine the fate of a newfound love, made even harder when Rachel reveals a choice herself that makes Jerry TRULY have to take a look at what his priorities are and what he wants the future to be as the Summer comes to an end, and the ending was very effective! Any further details would be spoilers, so, sorry folks, just NOT going to do that to you.
The ongoing journey into indie films continues to honestly surprise me, as I am still finding out more and more frequently how MUCH these stories SO rely on engaging you with characters and actual PLOT, rather than with visual effects to often distract you from what can sometimes be subpar material. “Jerry” I found most engaging in its simplicity…acting, visually, and story-wise. It is a very relatable tale, with characters who truly seem REAL, and that again is the beauty of indie cinema. Jerry is truly a person trying to navigate this new potential facet of his life in a single, unexpected Summer fling with Rachel, and they BOTH show the apprehension, un-assuredness, yet legitimate excitement of new love being born between them. Rock and Frey brought this out very convincingly for me, and I feel what some might try to write off as poor acting was more, for me, seeing the realistic awkwardness of two young people finding something they didn’t anticipate, watch it growing, and then having to make the decisions that will affect it BEYOND the short amount of time they have together. It FELT real for me. Frey brought a very sweet and beautiful innocence to Rachel’s character, and that again, was a tangible element in the story. Rock’s Jerry was what COULD have been your typical college loser who didn’t have a plan, but instead, we actually get a solid character delivered to us. Steven’s character was a gem, adding this complete sense of playfulness to everything Jerry was going through and trying to take seriously, even when wanting Steven to just disappear and let him resume his “former” life and the lack of “big picture” planning he had. The banter between the two was really fun, and I most certainly found myself chuckling on multiple occasions at the absurdity of Steven’s questions and the harried answers from Jerry. Visually, the film was quite pleasant in it’s portrayal of the actual beauty that surrounds a city like Vegas, and the landscapes presented do honestly become their own character in the story of this blossoming relationship. An additionally straight-forward and subdued soundtrack also adds to the whole ambiance of the film and successfully puts an emotional exclamation point on certain scenes. As some viewers are sensitive to different things, there are some serious bursts of language and adult material discussed in places, but overall, this was a neat little offering that presents one of those situations that can make us think about the relationships we get into and the decisions we make….and sometimes DON’T.
Please “FOLLOW” the filmmakers and Production company on their Twitter accounts at: Max Fox Melody Rock DreamStreet, LTD Also, “LIKE” their Facebook Page and of course, their Website AND….please visit their Store to watch the film itself.
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
