Nate Rubin’s subtle expression of Mitch is so delicate one wonders what else he is capable of doing. His characterization is so downplayed that the depth resounds long after the film ends. Alicia Anthony is a delight on screen and I would put money on  expecting a pretty bright future in acting for her. The duo make such great screen chemistry that it would be hard to question their talent. They are accompanied by some well known faces such as Tony Hale (Arrested Development, Stranger than Fiction) as Mr. Crowder ,the band teacher, and Alex Karpovsky (Tiny Furniture, Girls) as the overly pompous, foul mouthed Vice Principal Wally Combs. Each lend the expertise of their craft to fulfilling the believability respectively as well as adding most of the comedic segments. Without them and their brillant sense of underplayed comedy is easily one of the main reasons that this film doesn’t fall flat.

The cinematography is nothing to write home to mom about, but there are moments in the film that really stand out. Christopher Simpson shows great promise and could easily become a name seen more often within the independent circuit. Texas is easily a place where a cinematographer could go wild and forget what the heart of the film is really about, but Simpson sticks to what he knows and gets the important moments onto the screen. Though there are some simple mistakes made that are easily seen the film doesn’t have any tragic mishaps here.

Clay Liford’s writing is incredible. This film takes his dangerous source material and really builds a sentimental feature while narrowly escaping traumatic solely because of his writing. He know’s what he is doing and has a great ability to write only what needs to be written. However, even the film starts out with a stagger and ends with a trip it still has all the intelligent execution it needs to be great.

Wuss is beautifully cast, dangerously written, masterfully acted and darkly comedic. It succeeds in so many areas that it outweighs any of the small mistakes made during the production. Watch Mitch make one bad decision after another. Watch Mitch get beat up. Watch Mitch wuss out. And enjoy every moment of it.

The film starts off with some great cinematography, and quite honestly does great in this aspect. All of the shots are composed well and the film does have an overall great look to it. Kris McManus is a damn good cinematographer, but it seems that he may have spent most of his time in production on this aspect, while letting the others fall behind. The directing in this film could have used a lot more work. The acting is a bit too on point, and at first it seems very awkward; it rather doesn’t become any less by the end. The film feels far too scripted and it really does not feel as though this was a conscious choice by the filmmakers.

However, mediocre as the acting really is the film ultimately is decently fun in its playful approach to black comedy. Celia Muir (Lisa) really is quite nice to watch on screen and does the film justice even opposite of the overly annoying character Denny played by Darren Bransford. I daresay that he didn’t do too awful either, however diction could have played a much stronger part as it is very hard to understand him as he freaks out through most of the film. Brian Levine (who also produced this) as Charles is a great face, but a deplorable voice. His acting feels entirely too much as though he had spent hours specifically just memorizing lines, instead of feeling them. That brings us to Kate Loustau as Clancy, who is quite a wonderful actress. What a beautiful addition to an otherwise mediocre cast. She has also been in other films such as Elizabeth and Tombe Raider: Cradle of LIfe.

The real problem that this film has is in it’s effects. They are entirely unbelievably tacky and poorly done. Nothing could even pass as real and I couldn’t help but imagine that they were created by a guy who had taken only a few tutorials found on Youtube in order to learn Adobe After Effects. They should have spent a much longer time touching them up, it would have made for a much better experience. The film is in black and white for, what seems, only to cover up these poorly constructed effects. It doesn’t succeed in masking it though.

All in all it is a pretty great student film. The fact that it got a full DVD release is a real win for Kris McManus because it could easily have gone another way for him. Mostly it’s just an incredibly unbelievable chain of events that ends quite poorly. The ending disappoints and doesn’t know whether it is ending or it should keep going, or not… or maybe… or ok now it’s over. Fin Just choose one ending and stick to it! This isn’t the Lord of the Rings.

Good title design/Cinematography. These may be it’s only true redeeming values.

What begins as a seemingly mindless traipse through a beautiful landscape, set in the Caucus Mountains, quickly turns into an immensely compelling tale about the power of accidental betrayal and inherent weakness. Gael Garcia Bernal (Alex) is brimming with a deep understanding of the relationship between internal exposition and the physicality of such a concept. He is able to engross us within his emotion without any clumsy narrative getting in the way. Hani Furstenberg’s portrayal of Nica is a great compliment to his skill and style and is very real, appealing to this viewer’s sentimentality. She is also able to expose the internal conflict throughout the film. What could be a dismissible subtle change holds a much grander weight through her performance.

Although, the performances are wonderful, the true meat and substance in this film comes from the visually stimulating elements. Right away the color palette cannot go unnoticed and it plays a heavy role in the unfolding of the story. What is at first vibrant and alluring, changes into a washed out dull grayness. Inti Briones is a brilliant master craftsman as his cinematography is the true reason this film stands out amongst so many others. His skill is easily the justification for most viewer’s opinions. They will inevitably walk away feeling amazed at the brilliant landscapes and beautiful framing from throughout the entire two hour experience. The former Soviet Republic of Georgia is a Director of Photography’s dream playground, and one can only imagine the excitement and satisfaction Briones was able to experience during the filming on this gorgeous movie.

However, most moviegoers are going to leave this film feeling quite upset… depressed even. Do not expect for the ending to tie up all the loose ends here as it ends quite abruptly after the saddest most gut wrenching sequences in The Loneliest Planet. The finale ends so abruptly that it is quite unsettling. It will leave you feeling empty, just as it starts to have the semblance of what we have come to expect in America from a production. It seems as though it ends in what feels like the middle of the second act. That feeling definitely isn’t something I could shake off even an hour or so after finishing the film, but I suppose that means that the film is ultimately successful for me.