Post by Jester- PsychoBunnyProductions on Dec 2, 2010 18:18:34 GMT -5
I've never been great at reviewing scripts. Give me something visual and i could talk all day about it, but never been much good at talking about literature.
I'll try and make this as spoiler free as possible.
Ok, I felt that SCF's The Warmth was a brilliant script. Near perfect. I honestly would recommend it to everyone on this site. As I saw it, the main character Henry is a personified over exaggeration of something that sits within every one of us. He seemed to reflect a human hesitation to open and connect with other human beings. I think we can all relate to this feeling. SCF brilliantly and almost borderline comically paints this human loneliness in the character of Henry.
Henry worked almost as a blank canvas which I couldnt help but project myself on. I dont know if this was a conscience thing SCF did but putting Henry in the usual settings as in with a woman who likes him, co workers, at a restaurant, I couldnt help but feel a similarity to Henry's interactions and myself... If that makes any sense.
As for narrative, I thought up until the last act (around page 65 maybe) the film was utterly engaging and both fascinating and heartbreaking to read. Seeing Henry ruin relationships all around him by simply being passive was such an intriguing thing to see. Obviously with a title like "The Warmth" you're aware that Henry will get some kind of resolution and maybe learn to love. However, I felt that this was the only part of a well paced script that seemed a little hasty.
I dont know what I would have done differently but Henry's emotional awakening seemed a bit sudden. I loved the passage of speech with the old man but I couldnt help but feel it was out of place; wise man approaches, offers words of wisdom and Henry takes these words to heart almost instantly. I think that section of the script had a lot of potential to go deeper into Henry's mind set. I think if he's 'awakening' had been a more gradual process then the ending would have felt a lot stronger. I understand it was set up with the unfolding flashbacks but I think it needed something more of Henry actually reacting to... Something. I'm not sure what. Just felt like he lacked a solid prompt to awaken.
I think one reason why the script works so well is the characters around Henry. Taking that Henry is a piece of all of us its hard to not like him. But the characters around Henry are likeable and very real people. I would have loved more to them actually. Especially Christine. Maybe a bit more on what drove her to be so interested in Henry in the first place.
*Big spoilers*
The ending its self is something I'm not too sure about... Metaphorically its almost showing that in order to live happy we have to 'kill' the barrier which makes us fear connection to other human beings. Story wise it just kills off a character who has finally found his resolution and now has a chance to be happy after 20 years. I mean i'm a ruthless bastard. I love killing off my characters when I write but i'm unsure as to the meaning of Henry's death. He didn't intervene once and someone died, he intervenes the next time and he dies. It seemed odd and sadly ironic because it was like he had just found life. As I said, i'm on the fence about the ending. But I really did find the final moment with the picture very touching.
Finally, now that i've written this poor excuse for a review I feel like I have slated the film a bit. I'd just like to say that this film is an important one and I think it touches something deep when one reads it. For the most part its well written and brilliantly paced. It was one of those cases where I had to read on and on. Not often do I talk about an amateur script in my social life but I found myself explaining the story to my friends today in the pub. I see "The Warmth" as a film of metaphors and I can help but be moved and fascinated by it. I would recommend it to everyone.
Just some things I picked up on-
Snow is something that is never mentioned in the script. However, maybe as a contradicting idea to the title I had the imagery of snow throughout the entire film as if the city the film is set in is as cold as Henry himself.
Henry reminded me a lot of Hugh Laurie in House.
The scenes with the psychologist reminded me a lot of the film Ordinary People.
I'll try and make this as spoiler free as possible.
Ok, I felt that SCF's The Warmth was a brilliant script. Near perfect. I honestly would recommend it to everyone on this site. As I saw it, the main character Henry is a personified over exaggeration of something that sits within every one of us. He seemed to reflect a human hesitation to open and connect with other human beings. I think we can all relate to this feeling. SCF brilliantly and almost borderline comically paints this human loneliness in the character of Henry.
Henry worked almost as a blank canvas which I couldnt help but project myself on. I dont know if this was a conscience thing SCF did but putting Henry in the usual settings as in with a woman who likes him, co workers, at a restaurant, I couldnt help but feel a similarity to Henry's interactions and myself... If that makes any sense.
As for narrative, I thought up until the last act (around page 65 maybe) the film was utterly engaging and both fascinating and heartbreaking to read. Seeing Henry ruin relationships all around him by simply being passive was such an intriguing thing to see. Obviously with a title like "The Warmth" you're aware that Henry will get some kind of resolution and maybe learn to love. However, I felt that this was the only part of a well paced script that seemed a little hasty.
I dont know what I would have done differently but Henry's emotional awakening seemed a bit sudden. I loved the passage of speech with the old man but I couldnt help but feel it was out of place; wise man approaches, offers words of wisdom and Henry takes these words to heart almost instantly. I think that section of the script had a lot of potential to go deeper into Henry's mind set. I think if he's 'awakening' had been a more gradual process then the ending would have felt a lot stronger. I understand it was set up with the unfolding flashbacks but I think it needed something more of Henry actually reacting to... Something. I'm not sure what. Just felt like he lacked a solid prompt to awaken.
I think one reason why the script works so well is the characters around Henry. Taking that Henry is a piece of all of us its hard to not like him. But the characters around Henry are likeable and very real people. I would have loved more to them actually. Especially Christine. Maybe a bit more on what drove her to be so interested in Henry in the first place.
*Big spoilers*
The ending its self is something I'm not too sure about... Metaphorically its almost showing that in order to live happy we have to 'kill' the barrier which makes us fear connection to other human beings. Story wise it just kills off a character who has finally found his resolution and now has a chance to be happy after 20 years. I mean i'm a ruthless bastard. I love killing off my characters when I write but i'm unsure as to the meaning of Henry's death. He didn't intervene once and someone died, he intervenes the next time and he dies. It seemed odd and sadly ironic because it was like he had just found life. As I said, i'm on the fence about the ending. But I really did find the final moment with the picture very touching.
Finally, now that i've written this poor excuse for a review I feel like I have slated the film a bit. I'd just like to say that this film is an important one and I think it touches something deep when one reads it. For the most part its well written and brilliantly paced. It was one of those cases where I had to read on and on. Not often do I talk about an amateur script in my social life but I found myself explaining the story to my friends today in the pub. I see "The Warmth" as a film of metaphors and I can help but be moved and fascinated by it. I would recommend it to everyone.
Just some things I picked up on-
Snow is something that is never mentioned in the script. However, maybe as a contradicting idea to the title I had the imagery of snow throughout the entire film as if the city the film is set in is as cold as Henry himself.
Henry reminded me a lot of Hugh Laurie in House.
The scenes with the psychologist reminded me a lot of the film Ordinary People.
