Greasy Lake (Andrej Landin, 2011): USA

Reviewed by William Conlin. Viewed in Santa Barbara, CA.

When looking at the work of up and coming filmmakers, I look for three traits: solid style, high technical quality and a respect for the craft of filmmaking. Chapman Film Student and recent SBCC graduate Andrej Landin has overwhelmingly proven himself in all three categories with his new film Greasy Lake.

Based on a short story by T.C. Boyle, Greasy Lake is the tale of three young men in search of a good time. Set in the early 1980’s the men visit a nearby lake for some drinking and partying but quickly learn that their actions have lasting consequences.

At its heart Greasy Lake is a morality tale that harkens back to 80’s coming of age classics such as Stand By Me. Though running under 20 minutes, it packs a lot of heavy material into a brief amount of time.

The cast is led by David Namminga, Mishone Feigin and Jan Lashly, who each provide a solid air or believability to their roles. Director Landin and cinematographer Johan Henriksson take us into the world of Greasy Lake with excellent visual prowess. Scored with classic hits of the era, Greasy Lake immediately immerses you into the world of the film and keeps you thinking long after the credits have rolled.

Greasy Lake will be making it’s big screen debut this Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 2:00pm at the Arclight Cinemas on Hollywood Blvd as part of this year’s Hollywood Film Festival. I would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in seeing the work of an up and coming auteur.

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Published:
10.19.11 / 11pm
Category:
Films, Short films