86 Melrose Avenue

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Aaron s Lili is a talentless hack. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Amazing movie I like the approach of mental problems and the message against violence 👏 Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member What I like about a good independent film is that with no fancy effects or star power to hide behind, you are left with a much more raw, and potentially real emotional experience. Maybe it's my background in theatre and belief in the idea that 4 boards, 2 actors and a passion can tell a story. It's even better when that story challenges your preconceptions or expectations and gives you more than anticipated. "86 Melrose Avenue" is an Indy film that did this for me. *SPOILERS* When you go into a hostage or disaster movie (more on that) you have certain expectations which more or less amount to: I'm going to be introduced to a group of different people with just enough time to learn something about them to differentiate them and hopefully care if they make to the end credits. In a hostage movie you can throw in the variable of whether or not you feel for the antagonist due to their motives or bad circumstances that set up the situation – I generally don't root for the fire/volcano/iceberg in the disaster movie. "86 Melrose Avenue" starts out with this formula and appears relatively straight forward. PSD leads antagonist Travis to a moment of violence that sets in motion a hostage situation at an art gallery. We are introduced the artist, gallery staff and patrons and given a chance through their interactions to learn something about them. Now the first minor twist comes along to change expectations – all of the characters show some character trait that makes it difficult to fully like them, be it self-absorption, drug addiction, over active libido, overinflated sense of themselves, hints of racism etc. Now the next twist on our understanding. The hostages and the hostage taker begin to have moments of self-reflection on their lives and through flashbacks we begin to learn why each of them has the issues, character traits we have witnessed and they become more fleshed out, real and ultimately likeable. Then, bam, at the 2/3 mark the hostage situation is resolved in what would normally be a final reel moment and we move into a third act that explores the aftermath. Through a clever ploy of having the police question each of the survivors individually, we get to hear what the experience was like for them specifically and how it has affected or changed them. As the characters are diverse each experience and perspective has its own value. Now back to my disaster movie note. Usually a hostage movie is either about foiling a hostage situation, or it is told from the hostage taker's perspective and they are the hero trying to right some wrong. "86 Melrose Avenue" doesn't take either track, instead it follows more the disaster movie formula of a group (both hostages and the hostage taker) trying to "make it out alive". A new layer is added to the formula with a look at "how did it effect you" look at the survivors. There is one further layer which is explored and has its own payoff of hope at the end and that touches on Middle East relations. I suspect there was more to that story line that may have been reduced in production to become more of a character layer as the focus shifted to the group as a whole. I enjoyed the film very much and enjoyed the reflecting on it afterwards. What the film may lack in spit and polish (inherent in a smaller budget and doubtlessly short shooting schedule) it makes up for in layered story telling. The director/writer has a unique story to tell and tells it well. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member It was very gripping and I was very touched by the portrayal of the soldier still suffering from ptsd. The emotional tone of the movie accurately conveys and deep valleys one never really escapes after traumatic events in one's life. This film needs to be seen at this time. Our actions have a profound impact on others. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Great indie film, love how it touches upon narratives like PTSD and gun violence. It is also set in a gallery which the director portrays surprisingly well. I am a visual artist myself and movie portrayals of artists and galleries are usually terrible. This writer/director nails it, kudos!! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I love that this film addresses the ever-important issue of mental health through a suspenseful storyline. The characters were so well-developed and diverse, which heightened the tension when they all became hostages. Seeing how a group of total strangers comes together in times of tragedy was very moving. Perhaps my favorite element of the story was the flashbacks to each individual reflecting on their life, not knowing whether or not they'd survive. Dade Elza's performance (as Travis) was exceptional! He's a star in the making! The cinematography & score were also studio-quality! It's easy for me to see why this film won so many awards in the festival circuit! It's a wonderful & suspense-filled watch! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

86 Melrose Avenue

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