directed by:
Paul Andrew Kimball written by: Paul Andrew Kimball genre: Romance |
For a long while, Paul Andrew Kimball's film "The Colour of Spring" was a simple romantic drama - that was easy going and hit all the right marks. The story was that of two people who had fallen in love, and then had their relationship threatened by a huge mistake made by leading man Sam. To be fair, subtle hints and onscreen instances revealed cracks in the couple's relationship - long before Sam broke the proverbial camel's back. But mostly, the love of his life, Sarah, was both in love with Sam and completely faithful. If you haven't guessed yet, in the movie, Sam is unfaithful, and making things that much worse is the fact he's literally caught red-handed.
But there's a lot of buildup before this fateful decision, a lot to chew on for the audience. The other woman, Jordan, has clearly manipulated the situation into what it eventually became - and her motives seem pretty straightforward. Jealousy is a hard pill to swallow down and keep level-headed. When you factor in the competitive nature an actress must deal with and endure, the audience understands exactly what's happened. Oh, I did mention Sarah was an incredibly talented actress who scored one of Macbeth's leading parts, didn't I? Jordan is an actress as well, and It's not hard to see where her jealousy comes from - or perhaps I'm totally wrong about everything that's going on. Maybe "The Colour of Spring" isn't as cut and dried as being labeled a simple romantic drama, and what I'm seeing is not exactly the actual reality of Sarah and Sam's life. It was during the final act that I fully realized Kimball's film was anything but what it was pretending to be - and yes, it was more than a slight WTF moment. As "The Colour of Spring" glided across my screen, I couldn't help really liking what I was seeing. Sarah and Sam's relationship history was being tastefully added in, using flashbacks, as the present-day drama continued to unfold. As a matter of fact, I was so engulfed in this film, I could easily forgive the decision to feature this flick in glorious black and white. All the time hoping that a reason behind the creative colour choice would be revealed - and it was. Well, I think it was. If I was interpreting the final ending shot correctly, I completely understand the choice regarding the colours not used - and that brings me back to that final twist during the last act.
I won't spoil it, but man, does this film take a hard left. So much in fact, I'm not totally sure I even completely understand what had taken place. I'm pretty sure I get it, just not one hundred percent. The complex nature of the ending aside, even if I am right, I would still consider the way it was handled a little awkward. Don't get me wrong, it's a grand reveal and all - but I can easily see people getting confused. Sure, things do make sense once everything has played out - but I can't help but feel I've missed something, and even if I haven't, that feeling really sucks. Now, I want to take the time to give credit where credit is due. "The Colour of Spring" sounds great, it looks great, and the pacing feels near perfect. Technically speaking, there's not much to bitch about here. It all works. But what especially works is the acting. Alexa Morden as Sarah really kicked this film into high gear. It was especially pleasant watching an actor playing an actor... acting. When it comes to Sam, played by Jamie Muscato, there can be no question that he is second fiddle to nobody. The chemistry between the two seems legit, and I truly have nothing bad to write. But what makes this film even more endearing is that the supporting cast all perform amazingly. I can think of no character in this film that feels out of place or wrong. Not many independent movies can claim an excellent cast all across the board - this one can. At the end of the day, "The Colour of Spring" is one of those movies you quickly fall into - and in what seems like minutes, it's over. The big reveal at the end may cause a bit of friction for some, but even if you don't fully grasp it, you won't be sorry you stuck around. In truth, it's not all that complicated by the time the credits roll. Before that happens however, those fifteen or so minutes from the reveal to the end, felt a little jarring - a solid four stars. |
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