Victoriana

This is a wonderful portrait of a young couple's struggle to build a home together. Common obstacles cascade into a dark and unforgettable series of events that I find myself thinking about months after watching the movie.

Artful story-telling and cinematography drew us into the characters' hopes, and as they struggled with temptations and difficult decisions, I found myself pulling for them, despising them and pitying them, all at once. There is a grit to the set, the dialog and the characters themselves that keeps my mind wandering back to the film.

In the age of digital movies, it is refreshing to see Steele's classic style combine with new technology to create a film that is outstanding because of its characters, cinematography, music and story. Any special effects were seamlessly integrated, using light and dark rather than computer re-imaging to bring personality to the character that the viewer does not even notice at first. It's as if Steele is channeling Kafka and Kubrick to make the kind of movie that has become hard to find.

I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Steele.