The Shade Shepherd

source: The Shade Shepherd

I was going to rate The Shape Shepherd with a four but because of a little twist towards the end that I didn't see coming I'll give it a five. That's about the maximum as the movie isn't that interesting. The story is a bit boring to follow, a bit too long for what they want to show. The acting wasn't that bad so that wasn't the issue. The cinematography could have been better, with sometimes a slightly shaking camerawork. I can't say I was impressed by this movie and will most probably forget everything about it in a couple days.

Watching this movie will be a waste of time for just about everyone except those who hope to make an Indie movie too, like me. Lots to learn here, including: If a story can be told in an hour or so, don't pad it to 100 minutes, because any originality in the plot will be buried in tedium and underappreciated by those viewers who stick with it to the end. Make at least one of the protagonists someone an audience will care about. In Shade Shepherd neither of the main characters comes close to qualifying. One of them leaves his wife just as she's about to have a baby, without even telling her why. Turns out he's helping his brother, who has drug-related issues. This includes vomiting a lot, screaming, looking wild-eyed, drooling, etc. Hard to get behind either of those characters. Indie productions always have budget restraints, but extended bouts of profanity do not compensate for boring scenes. One star is for a twist at the end, and one star for the effort both leading actors put into their roles.

Excellent film! It isn't easy to wear so many hats- writer, director, DP, editor...but Chris Faulisi pulled it off with flying colors! Very solid performances all around from the cast. Randy Spence's portrayal of a detoxing drug addict hit me on a visceral level and made me squirm, and Jordon Hodges's stoicism gave a necessary balance to his manic energy. The two played off of each other well. The cinematography is exquisite, and lovely nature settings offer a nice contrast to the internal turmoil being experienced by the brothers while giving them a neutral playing ground to exorcise their demons. Shout out to Caroline Newton who had far less screen time but made every second count. I expect to see more of her in the future! Overall this is definitely worth at least one watch, perhaps two, for this is the kind of film that will make you want to go back for seconds!

Jack (Jordon Hodges ) is a psychologist with an expecting wife Stacey (Caroline Newton). It is Indiana 1987 and his brother Pike (Randy Spence) lives with them. He abuses substances and Stacey doesn't want him there. Jack claims he can figure out what is wrong with people. He can't fix them. Suddenly the two brothers are in a boat going down river. Pike had blacked out and is wanted for starting a bar fight where a man was killed. They are on the lam. The ending made the film worth watching. It got to be slow and boring as they talked out their issues. Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No real nudity.

Good movie!

The Shade Shepherd