Another one of them pesky Bothan Spies was hanging around the Virginia Film Festival and was bowled over by STILL BREATHING. This film has been on the festival circuit for a while, played in Austin during SXSW I believe, and then was test screened by the NRG here back in April. But it still hasn't hit our screens. Everyone I talked to that attended that screening that was female loved it. And loved Brendan Fraser, now as a dude I have to say I don't want to help Brendan with a single part, but the truth is the truth. So here is how it's playing to this film spy at least:
At the Virginia Film Festival, right after Home Fries (yes, it is good), they showed Still Breathing, another "small movie" with Brendan Fraser (School Ties, George of the Jungle) and Joanna Going (the oldest Abbot sister in Inventing the Abbots).
It's a mystical love story, and it's worth seeing. Fraser is Fletcher, a sweet bohemian type who sees visions of his true love. These dreams run in the family, so Fletcher's grandma supports his running off to find the woman, armed with the jagged collages he's created to approximate her face.
This concept could have made the movie too cute, but the Texas setting cuts the cute factor; it could have been too flakey, but Fraser is *very good* and believable as our hero. (He won a best actor award at the Seattle film festival, we were told.)
We root for Fletcher as he searches for his true love, and we hope, for his sake, that she is not a disappointment.
The woman is Roz, played by Going, and she is in fact a disappointment for a long while. She's set up as a nice contrast to Fletcher, all big-city and slick. There's a lot we don't know about these characters at first, and even more that they don't know about each other. The bit-by-bit revelations add interest, which is good because the movie is slow at times. Another fault is Going's somewhat vacant, shallow portrayal of Roz. Granted, Roz is supposed to be a fake for most of the film, but I didn't really buy it even when she was supposed to be "good." Ultimately, though, we care about Roz because Fletcher cares about her. The scenery and lighting - Fletcher's beautiful house is a focal point of the film - create a warm, cozy atmosphere. It's a good-hearted, fable of a movie, but I'd recommend it even on the basis of Fraser's wondeful performance alone. I'd bet this movie gets Fraser some major notice.
Thanks for letting me give my two cents....
- a Bothan spy
