Particles of Truth

Directed by: Jennifer Elster. Starring: Jennifer Elster, Gale Harrold.

Synopsis: The movie focuses on Lilly Black, a young woman born to two 16-year-old drug addicts, who naturally had a troubled childhood. She is about to featured at her first art show, but this leaves her feeling more anxious than pleased. She meets Morrison Wiley, a young man with a obsessive-compulsive disorder but a gift for writing. The shadow her childhood casts over this budding romance is the main focus of the film, but it is also boosted by featuring scenes with Lilly's roomate and Morrison's parents.

Sample quote: “I knew. The first time I saw you. I knew.” Morrison to Lilly

Comment: This is not the best movie ever, the type everyone needs to see, but it's darn sight better than most movies with much bigger budgets. Elster and Harrold both give good performances, as so do the supporting actors. The script at times spells out what we can see for ourselves, but this is not a chronic problem. It moves along nicely and you do get to care for what happens to the characters. There are some surprises, some nice moments—maybe even some particles of truth. Rating: **½

The Extras: Limited to the commentary track by Elster and Harrold, where you gain insight into some of the challenges of making a low-budget film, such as not being able to afford the permit you need to film on the subway—but filming there anyway. Elster understandably does most of the talking but it's good for her to have Harrold to play off, and he reveals a low-key sense of humour (and doesn't seem like an ass at all, which is nice to know).

Usability: Not too much of an issue, as there isn't a whole lot to navigate through here.

Next Other film: When Harry Met Sally