Review for

"IT WAS ALWAYS ME"
Review by Jacque Bluberre
Rating: 5 STARS [out of 5]

It Was Always Me is an exploration of American culture in today's troubled times. The film microscopes the youth of a country that struggle between succeeding and achieving the American dream while making excuses and exceptions throughout the journey that create an internal conflict that is at constant battle.

The film has a genuinely authentic European style to it that shockingly works well to tell the story of the trio of Marissa, Karim and Dylan. Set in a post-9/11 New York, newcomer writer/director Amit Vaidya is able to create an easily relatable world that seems somewhere between reality and Moulin Rouge. The colors, the music and the beautiful transitions add wonderful texture to the film. Yet, at the core, It Was Always Me is a simple story about struggling with life and trying to do the right thing.

It Was Always Me may not be everybody's cup of tea. There will be many that find it empty or trying too hard to please the audience. Like it or not, this is where independent cinema is headed in the future. The film blurs the line between commercial and artistic and in the process allows the audience to have a full sensory experience at the cinema hall. Filmmakers will be learning about the craft from newcomer Vaidya's vision for many years to come. It's hard to believe that this film is hardly on the studio radar given its mesmerizing appeal. I'm already waiting in line for Vaidya's next feature, let's hope that I'm not the only one the next time.

Director: Amit Vaidya
Producers: Keith Jacobs, Steven Leal, Alex Maxwell
Writer: Amit Vaidya
Cast: Karim - Farhad Khan
Marissa - Eliza Doushku
Dylan - Brendan Sexton

Jacque Bluberre is a freelance reviewer for the Toronto Sun. See his other reviews at the www.torontosun.com.

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X-RT-RatingText: 5/5

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