FILM INFO: A young woman breaks things off with her boyfriend but finds out the universe has other plans. Desperate to move on, she is forced to literally relive the memories they've shared together.
WRITTEN BY: Raymond Creamer DIRECTED BY: Jerry J White III GENRE: Drama TIME: 87 minutes
I'm not typically considered a fan of the romance genre. Saying I was a little apprehensive, as I got ready to watch "This Is Us" would be a gross understatement. However, after reading the description I had a little hope. Was that a science fiction element I was reading? Maybe... just maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps hope existed although I wasn't counting on it. I hit that play button and buckled down for a sap-fest, that also happened to be an indie. Raymond Creamer has put to script a cross between "The Time Travelers Wife" and maybe a little "Butterfly Effect" for good measure. I'm comparing these films not because there is not a personal spin on the story, rather just to give a general idea of the concepts and reasoning. Danny, played excellently by Jessica Lynn Parsons, wants to leave her boyfriend of many years. Together they had begun to build a life until a mistake from her boyfriend Brendan, portrayed nicely by Raymond Creamer, sets in motion the couples eventual potential break-up. Sounds suspiciously like a truck-load of romantic dramas you've seen before right? Only in this case, Danny begins flittering through time. Stepping out of the time-stream long enough to re-enter various locations of their relationship. The journey itself follows Danny's character development - but make no mistake. Before it's all over we learn a lot about Brendan as well. Although there doesn't happen to be any action sequences, or any "in your face" sci-fi elements, the writing and acting do more than enough to make this a completely interesting and entertaining film. Even for those who may be a little sketchy on the romantic genre. The technical aspects of this movie were pleasantly surprising. Sure, "This Is Us" doesn't look like a block-buster with a zillion dollar budget, but it doesn't need to, to get the point across. With that said, large chunks of this movie did look pretty damn close to a decently budgeted film. Visually, I really have no complaints. Another great aspect, as I'm sure you've guessed, is the performances by the cast themselves. These characters come across as real people. I can't recall a single moment where this film felt hollow or scripted. The performances from these talented folks are not just from our leading couple, rather the supporting cast as well. It seems everyone took their roles seriously and Jerry J White III, who directed, did a fantastic job overall. As I wrote above, the film looks and sounds great. That's no accident. I must admit however, that everything is not golden. The second half of the movie did drag on slightly. I mainly attribute this to the extended exposition. Conversations just seemed to get longer and longer between scene changes. I can't fault the actors, they were all great... so the only thing left is the dialog heavy length. I'm not really sure if this could have been fixed by anything aside from a cut to the run-time. No matter... what's done is done, and the slightly winded second half was not really a big deal. Just a casual thought as the credits were getting ready to roll. Perhaps someone more in tune with the romantic back-bone of the film will not even notice. In the end I'm both sad and super impressed I liked this film as much as I did. I'm sad because I have to admit... that I "liked" a romantic drama. Me liking a romance? How weird. I'm impressed with the film for the very same reason. Me? A romance. Although the science fiction element is a huge factor in moving along the plot, it really only serves as a device to push through the stories of our two characters. That was refreshing. But was it entertaining? Why yes. Yes it was. That's really the point is it not? The genre of a film really doesn't matter much, so long as the viewer enjoys their time with it. It just so happens that I did. I have a feeling I won't be the only one.
