I saw this film at the Idyllwild Cinema Festival in Idyllwild California on Sunday January 13. It is such a wonderful film. Full of heart and great acting. I love female driven stories, and was surprised that it was written by a man. Stephen Savage deserves huge credit for bringing this special film to light. I loved it! The lead character, Alex, was someone I related to so easily from my own experiences growing up with a single mom. And the rock climbing theme was such a wonderful way to bring the characters all together. Very unique. Perfect Chick Flick. I'm sure the film will gain a huge audience. It really is something special.
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sashasmith112915 January 2013
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ryans128613 January 2013I was at the screening of "Vertical" during the Idyllwild Cinemafest 2013 on Saturday, January 12, 2013. "Vertical" was shot and set in Idyllwild, CA; it attracted a large local crowd eager to see familiar locations on the big screen. Overall this film was disappointing to me in virtually every aspect.
Writer and Director, Stephen Savage, introduced the film to the audience. He mentioned that the film was still in the production stage and that there would be a few audio problems as well as about 15 minutes of film that would eventually be cut.
From the start, dialogue was a problem. The lines were exactly that, lines. Conversations seemed forced and scripted. I felt that the actors did a good job with what they were given, especially since most of the actors were probably not very experienced. The film featured many scenes featuring the "Rock Chicks" hanging out and conversing with one another. These scenes were the most difficult to watch for me. They were rife with poorly executed jabs and insults at one another. I still cannot fully understand why all these women would be so caddy towards one-another after the death of a close friend. These scenes were completely unbelievable and I was never able to relate to any of those characters.
Aside from the poor script writing, the "Rock Chicks" personal backgrounds were ridiculous. All of them were famous in one way or another. This type of character writing seemed juvenile to me. It would have been much more believable if they characters had average jobs and histories. Aside from that, the only character who looked and acted remotely like a climber was Dani, the professional climber of the group. According to the story, these women spent their youth travelling the world on climbing trips. I guess after they finished travelling the world, they quickly excelled in their professional lives and decided to all have plastic surgery, breast enhancements, and generally act like the women from "Desperate Housewives." This brings my attention again to the "Rock Chicks" general abrasiveness as characters. How am I supposed to relate to a bunch of wealthy women who bitch and nit-pick at each other constantly? Remember, they are getting together for a funeral for their best friend
On top of the previously mentioned problems, this movie had too many story lines going on at once. There was the main story about the "Rock Chicks" and Alex mourning the death of her mother. In addition to this, there was an unrelated plot line that included the new deputy, another about Alex finding her father, and another about the pot farm. These story lines were distracting and took attention away from the main story. One could say that Alex discovering here true father is related to the main plot, but I felt it was distracting because it was poorly developed.
The last thing that was especially irritating to me was the fact there was a separate admission to this film. Stephen Savage directed both this film and the film festival. I suppose he decided his film was good enough to charge extra from the normal day or festival pass that allows entry to every other film shown at the festival. Not only did he charge extra to see the film, but the film was definitely not ready for screening! The audio problems were numerous; it sounded like there was somebody loudly knocking on a microphone during almost every scene shot indoors.
Overall, this film involved a level of writing for which Savage was unable to deliver. The actors generally performed admirably, despite the poor script. Not recommended that you watch this film unless you know somebody performing in it or you are only watching it to see the beautiful Idyllwild scenery. And for those climbers out there who want to see climbing portrayed accurately in a film, don't even bother. -
Davewhalenpix15 January 2013I just returned to Florida from Idyllwild California and the Idyllwild Cinemafest. I had the great pleasure of seeing Vertical at a separate sneak screening and have to say I was so impressed. The director was doing a lot of qualifying that lead me to believe the film was far from complete. But I have to say, it was well put together and seemed very complete to my wife and I. She cried often, and we both laughed a lot. And I will admit I was touched more than once by the movie. I hope it gets wide release when finished, as the story and the acting are superb for a small indie. Irene Bedard and the lead actress Morgan Lester are nothing short of magical together. But the soundtrack was the real treat here. The music is incredible. I look forward to seeing it again when it's released. Kudos to the director and the cast.
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Sojonesy15 January 2013Why are people reviewing a film that isn't even completed yet? Vertical was shown as a sneak preview of an unfinished edit. It was a fund raising event for the people of Idyllwild. The film isn't finished yet and already reviews are showing up on IMDb? What's up with that? Allow the filmmakers to finish the project. Until that happens, how can anyone review the film? It makes no sense. I've never seen this before. The film is being readied for film festivals in 2014. It's being listed as in post production. Relax people. There were some great films at the Idyllwild Cinema Festival. Review some of those. And wait for Vertical to hit theaters or Netflix before reviewing it.
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I had a chance to see a sneak preview of this movie in January and left the theater feeling so good, teary eyed, and with a full heart. It's touching and so heartfelt, my girlfriends and I were still dropping tears and feel-good laughs for hours afterward. The music is wonderful, the acting wonderful. A real surprise of a film. The director informed everyone beforehand that it was an unfinished film, but it felt complete to us. Very good writing, and beautiful scenery, and the mostly female cast did an amazing job. Irene Bedard has been one of my favs since Smoke Signals, and I of course grew up on Pocahontas! She is delightful here. It's rare these days to see a film that actually feels like there was some thought put into the writing. If there is any flaw in the movie at all it would be that there isn't enough of the smaller character. Some of them are wonderful, but not fully flushed out I think. Otherwise, this movie delivers the goods. Can't wait to see the movie in theaters.