NH Film Festival: Day 4

7:30 p.m.

The awards have been handed out and I am on my way home. Congratulations to the award-winners and the young filmmakers who showed their short films tonight!

5:15 p.m.

Terri was......interesting.

This movie about an overweight high school boy finding himself defintely had pros, but it also definitely had a few cons.

Short, spoiler free summary: An overweight boy named Terri lives with his senile uncle and has been having troubles in school. He is always late to class, wears his pajamas to school and generaly shows no interest. A school employee befriends Terri and so goes a story of bonds, finding new friendships and the true meaning of heart.

Lets get the negatives out of the way. I don't mind if a movie has a slow pace in order to build atmosphere, but for Terri it took just a bit too long to get things going. Also, on the subject of time, the scene where the main character truly shows his resolve in being a good person went on far too long. The scene was atypical to most that involve teenage drinking and drug use, but in the end it felt too drawn out for its own good.

What I enjoyed most about this movie was its commitment to not turning the story about Terri into a tragedy. Too often with characters who struggle with issues such as weight we see focus too hard on them being the victims. While this movie did touch on those issues, it also showed the normal life of such an individual and how they can live beyond being a victim.

Many moments in the movie had me going "okay, this is where something terrible happens," but luckily I was wrong. The relationship between the the school employee and Terri is very organic, nothing is forced to make the movie more charming and heartwarming than it should be. That makes every event towards the end of the movie mean that much more, bringing a real experience to a film that seems to definitely focus on the "real," for better or worse.

In addition, the movie presented an interesting choice in presentation that definitely lends to its laid-back approach to the story of a high schooler.

Overall I enjoyed the movie for the parts it had and breaking the mold, but also recognize the flaws that made it fall just short of being truly enjoyable. The actors performed well, to the point where the humor from this film came not from just the script, but also the presentation of the characters.

I would reccomend trying out Terri at least once, if ony to try another perspective into the life of another, warts and all.

1:40 p.m.

I am here in Portsmouth soaking in the last day of the NH Film Festival.

While I am relaxing now, that was not the case when I watched the thrilling movie titled "Point Blank."

The french action-thriller had my adrenaline pumping and my mind guessing as I travelled through the film's twists and turns.

Short, spoiler free plot summary: An aspiring nurse gets caught up in a fight between multiple groups in the city, a battle that is filled with violence and corruption. When his pregnant wife gets kidnapped, the main character does what he needs to in order to get her back.

This must-see had excellent acting, production and music that had even a manly guy like me jumping in my seat at parts.

The film is in French, but I had no problems translating the action as I read the subtitles. The acting was great and the characters believable, a rarity in the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.

I completely recommend this gem for anybody looking for a thriller that is not predictable and certainly not boring.

On a side note: The Music Hall in Portsmouth is absolutely GORGEOUS. It was a great venue for my movie-watching and was almost as endearing as the film. The bathrooms also remind me of Harry Potter, but that might be because I am a nerd.

Time for lunch. I will be checking out "Terri" in a few hours and will have my thoughts on the comedy-drama afterward.