KO Review How He Fell in Love
How He Fell in Love (Official Trailer) from Visit Films on Vimeo.
Two familiar faces:Matt McGorry (Orange is the New Black) who plays Travis and Amy Hargreaves (Homeland) who plays Ellenon screen for How He Fell in Love. Ellen and Travis meet at a wedding. Ellen offers Travis a ride back to the city, tells him she is a yoga teacher and tells him to come to a class sometime. Travis loves the idea and shows up a few days later to Ellen’s class. After class they go for a walk, and it’s obvious there is sexual tension and he wants more. Progressively the two find ways to be together and begin having an affair. There are few other stories that run in the background of this story, Travis’ drummer died recently of alcohol poisoning. Then there is the story of Ellen and her husband looking to adopt. These back stories are woven through the film without a clear message other than these two are dealing with issues. Ellen is unable to get pregnant and her husband is 22 years older, so they have tension building because of her desire for children. This issue in Ellen’s life clearly becomes the catalyst for her actions with Travis and it is brought up several times throughout the film.
The acting was good, but felt more theatrical than cinematic. Maybe because there was no music in between blocks of dialogue to set a mood. Without the mood music it seemed somewhat sterile or maybe just too raw of a film for me. The subject matter of this affair was not fancy or very romantic like typical films on an affair. It was non challant, not particularly sexyand felt uncomfortable but yet not predictable, so I was engaged enough to want know how it is going to end. I don’t recommend seeing this film with your significant other if they are in anyway insecure, you will not leave the theatre in a good way. This is not a date film.
The title of the film is what threw me off… Was Travis in love? Was it real? Was it a diversion? Was it a brief intermission? Was it a way he dealt with his grief? It led them to where they needed to be individually as characters, but left me with questions.
How He Fell in Loveis the third feature by directorMarc Meyers(Harvest). Meyers also served as writer and producer on the project. The film was produced byJody Girgenti, and co-produced byDoree SimonandAmanda Warman. The film premiered to rave reviews at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2015 where it was nominated for the Best American Independent Feature. It also screened at the 2016 Cleveland International Film Festival where it was nominated for the US Fiction Award.
How He Fell in Lovehits Toronto on August 5, 2016 and on VOD/Digital on September 13, 2016.
*All photos courtesy of Level Films
