Humboldt County

I had the privilege of seeing this movie at SXSW in Austin. The theater couldn't have expected the incredible turnout. They had to open a second theater and still turn away many more people. We were there an hour early and the place was already packed and buzzing with anticipation.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I viewed with an open mind and was blown away. I also had some insider information about the various characters portrayed. Most of which are based on actual people known by the writers/directors which somehow made the movie more personal, but took something away from the anticipation of character development throughout the film. The incredibly divergent paths of each character, which ultimately seems to unite them all at various points, is the heart of the story.

I heard a ton of laughter and saw many (including myself) trying to conceal tears at several times throughout this story you hate to see conclude. We left the theater with much to discuss regarding some great lines and some powerful scenes. Great film....Great Soundtrack....Great Story!!!

I will see this one again when it comes to a local screen and I can't wait to see the next project.

I saw Humboldt County at South By Southwest, and I love it! It was well written, beautifully shot, and had an outstanding cast. I've never been to northern California, but after seeing this film, I really want to visit. This is the filmmakers' first film and I am blown away by the complexity of the characters and the film's surprising emotional depth. The characters are all interesting and honest, but flawed, just like the rest of us. There is a warmth among this cannabis farming family that is engaging and intriguing.(And it doesn't hurt that both Jeremy Strong and Chris Messina are deliciously handsome men.) Madison Davenport's performance as young Charity is also outstanding. I can't wait to see it again!

A few friends and I caught the premiere of Humboldt County at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin last night. Quick summary: If you get a chance, go see this movie.

Prior to seeing it, there was some debate about whether this was a "drug" movie, especially since a few other premieres at SxSW ("Harold and Kumar II" and "Super High Me") are drug related--it's not. Although there are certainly joints in many (most) of the scenes, they are background and no more the focus of the movie than the gorgeous redwood trees and sweeping coastline that are also omni-present. Humboldt County is all about character development, some fantastic acting, and scenery that takes your breath away. When we were talking about the film after, we all agreed that that most similar movie we had all seen was "Garden State" except tone down the love story and shoot it in one of the most beautiful places on earth instead of Jersey (sorry NJ).

The co-directors and script writers (friends since they were 6) took questions after the show which is always interesting. Two of my favorite tid-bits from that: 1) One of the directors has an Uncle and Aunt in Humboldt and much of the script is based on real characters from his summers there as a child. 2) When the directors went to Humboldt to get away and work on a script, they were actually working on a totally different script which they scrapped so they could write this Humboldt-inspired one.

One other interesting point came out of the Q&A in which someone pointed out that for a directing debut, Humboldt was pretty ambitious--REAL actors, shot on location in 35mm, full length, etc. etc. It's a good point, and makes the movie all the more impressive...

This film offered some fascinating character studies. The movie was beautifully shot. I thought the movie held up well for the first three quarters, but some plot turns in the last quarter struck me as being cheats. Nonetheless, the movie delicately handles the complexities of people who have chosen to leave behind their everyday existences in the "straight" world and exile themselves into the "wilderness" of Northern California. The film does a great job of examining the costs of reclusiveness with poignancy and dignity. While regret is a theme that is a constant in this film, self-examination and re-invention are also championed. Despite some sensitive subject matter, I think this movie could get some mainstream traction.

Is it any good? Yeah, but in an average way. It is all about finding yourself when caught between the pressures of "you have to be something" and "you don't have to be anything". Frankly, I wanted to see Fairuza Balk again when I got the film, but she only plays a marginal role and then she is gone.

Is it a pot movie? No. The marijuana farming is just a side story, one that I thought was a bit unfortunate for the film. I am not against it, I just don't think it had much to do with the subject of the movie.

Bottom line: it has a nice idea, but it was a poorly constructed film. I couldn't relate with any of the characters and the emotional conflicts depicted were totally unconvincing. Since it was clearly a low budget film, I expected more in terms of plot cohesion and character depth.