A special film about troubled youths. What makes it so special? Above all, the faces are well chosen which makes the film very authentic and believable. The cinematography is disciplined and relevates exactly what it needs, while the acting is well guided and carried out.
Director Darren L. Downs proves to have the right ability to express ‘on time’ everything that is important within the theme, for this is rather easier to express in a feature where time is more generous. However, relationships between characters build quickly (faces, costumes and accessories help a lot to define characters which is of course a huge help for films that have to convey many things on a short schedule), dialogue is adequate and on occasions quite witty and wise (in a smart way, not in a funny way), which is hard to find nowadays. The events also deliver the message with confidence and accuracy; this can only speak about the writer’s and director’s clear minds.
Black and White Lines warns about the deceptive appearances regarding people and slowly reveals the truth about its characters, delivering at the same time a new surprise to the public with every minute that passes, thing which makes it very entertaining. Characters have their own stories and histories that complement their personalities. The events perfectly connect as to harness the meanings and elevate the learnings.
There sure is a lot of learning in this film both for the filmmaker and for the public, and one’s mind will struggle to catch every piece of it. Some of the learning might arise at the second or the third view so we recommend the audience to watch it carefully.
TMFF RATING:
