Reach

It took three writers to come up with this...rather awkward, bogged-down-with-issues dramedy. Name an 'issue' - alcoholism, drug addiction, school shootings, suicide, grief, depression, bullying, homophobia...rest assured, it's in this here dramedy...minus the comedy.

It took one first-time director to make that awkwardness even more so...amplifying stereotypes and clattering out the clichés one after the other...and, rounding the whole thing off with the greatest dollop of sickly-sweet sentimentality...it's more than a stomach can take!

It took a casting director who had no idea how [or who] to cast...most of these 'teens' look nowhere near being teens. As for the drama teacher...well, a walking-talking stereotype if ever there was...who looks younger than most of his students! Then there's Clarence...cheeky chappy, brimming with confidence and charisma...with a dark side! Seriously, Johnny James Fiore did the best he could with the dialogue he was given [oops, he's one of the writers! No excuses!] and the direction he - obviously - wasn't given.

It's all a bit of a mess...with too many issues...and, an uncomfortable feeling of...an indie film trying desperately to be mainstream...that's not what indie filmmaking is all about. Better luck next time...if there is to be a next time!

Trailer...