The story of a curmudgeon who takes in a wayward teen who is the rejected son of a former bandmate may not be the most original story, but after some stumbles out of the gate Guitar Lessons finds its footing and tells a surprisingly touching story. Writer/director James films his story quite beautifully, finding a visual language that is disarming and deeply personal so the audience gets into the characters' emotions in a way that feels quite honest.
Sometimes James' dialogue is awkward and often the film thinks it is being funnier than it is. But what works here is that James doesn't let things be one note. He will start something as a joke (often jokes that are a little on the obvious side) but let it circle back into something deeper, something touching. Lund may not be the best actor in the world but the film allows him to play to his strengths including a truly lovely scene in the middle where he does little more than play the guitar which is very watchable (and listenable).
So while Guitar Lessons isn't the strongest, it does come around and ends up being a worthwhile, satisfying, and even moving watch, reminding us how much a talented film maker can do with a very small budget.
Guitar Lessons
Starring: Corb Lund, Kaden Noskiye, Aaron James, Conway Kootney
Writer/Director: Aaron James
No comments:
Post a Comment