Written & Directed By: David Spaltro
Grade: B
…Around is filmmaker, David Spaltro’s break out film after graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. As his first film, it is a promising start particularly since it is clear that a lot of himself is reflected upon through the film. He took a lot of his life experiences while he was in college and put them in to his protagonist who is suffering trying to make it through film school and trying to figure out what home is and where his is.
Not a lot of things in Doyle’s (Evans) life has seemed clear. His parents split up when he was very young and even hinted that “the financial burden” his sister and him put on them was part of the reason that they did split up. His mother struggled after the divorce and Doyle tried to be there for her. He did the same for his sister. She was being picked on for being white in a very minority and color based community. Doyle did everything he could to get the heat off of her, even if that meant that he became the new target to get picked on growing up. Even though his family struggled, they seemed alright until Doyle went away to New York City to go to film school. His mother is furious with him for going and even wishes that he fails miserably, saying she won’t be there to catch him when he falls.
Doyle goes regardless, feeling that this is really what he was meant for. He meets some very different people there, but ultimately is there to learn about making films. Overall, it wasn’t quite what he expected and over the summer, he even considers not going back. He does though and things just become more complicated. His financial aid wasn’t filled out correctly or on time so he ends up having no money to live on. So he becomes a homeless film student. Doyle sleeps in Penn Station and scrounges up whatever food he can find. Soon enough, he manages to find a job at a café. The pay is low as are the tips and none of the cooks speak English. There is one advantage to this, a girl he has a crush on, Allyson (Ryman) works there too. Not to mention any cash in his situation is better than none. After quite a bit of resistance, Allyson ends up going out with Doyle. Doyle is able to get by, but his film is suffering more than anything. Despite everything he has been through to get to this point, as far as ideas for a film go, his mind is completely blank. Meanwhile, Doyle’s mother gets sick and even when he tries to help her, he only receives hate back. Everything seems to be piling up on him and Doyle risks losing any last chance at a decent family relationship, keeping Allyson, and graduating school and having a future in film.
Overall, the acting was decent. Robert W. Evans gave one of the weakest performances. As the protagonist, it would have been nice if we were given a bit more emotion and struggle from him. He was alright, but the film could have reached a higher level of quality, understanding, and raw feeling if Evans would have given us more. Since his character, Doyle, did narrate the film, we were given a general idea of what was going on with him and what he was thinking. This was Evans’ first lead role though and he did well enough. Molly Ryman as Allyson had great energy and had natural beauty that she displayed through her character, making her have class that made us care for her and in turn we were able to think of her in a similar way that Doyle did. As the film goes on, Allyson and Doyle become more and more believable as a couple mostly through the actors‘ strengthened chemistry. Ron Brice did wonders as Saul, one of the homeless men that became a friend of Doyle’s. He captured the character, yet uses intelligence to share a broader definition of a homeless man. The philosophies he shared and his outlook on life, made him more real to us, since we got to know him in a way that most likely most of us don’t know others like him that we simply pass up on the street.
Home is dealt with a lot in the film. It seems like even though Doyle’s family struggled, that when he was growing up it was a much healthier home life. It really seems like after Doyle left that is when everything came to be such a mess. It is normal for parents to be upset or even hurt when their child moves away for college and begins to start a life for themselves free of the parent. This is really taken to the extreme in this case though. Doyle’s mother spites him immensely and doesn’t even except him if he has a life away from her. You would think this would only go so far, but when she is sick she tells him that he deserves to be the one who is dying. This is where the lines blur a little. It is clear that Doyle cares for his mother when he is young and it seems his mother cares for him. That would explain her reaction to him moving away more. After all, if she didn’t really care for Doyle than she would be happy that he is gone. When the two of them begin to talk about that past, particularly questioning if there was one time where they were really happy, a completely different message is given. Neither of them seems to really think they ever had this happiness, but more so it is almost pictured that neither ever cared, which confuses the beginning of the film a bit. Regardless, on the aspect of home, the film accomplishes a broader more fitting meaning. It shows that home doesn’t have to be where your family is, where you grew up, or where you live. It is the place where you feel secure, and are given comfort. In many cases, you have to build this yourself, doing what you love and surrounding yourself with those that you love and give you this type of environment.
Particularly in the beginning, the way Doyle describes film and what it is to him is not only beautiful, but it gives us all a chance to relate with him right off the back. We see that film is his passion because it is a way for him to tell stories in a unique and interesting way with so many possibilities. This same outlook is present with many of us. If you are reading this it is because you care about film on some level or another. David Spaltro takes that feeling of passion for film and puts it in Doyle as well as using it to bring his vision alive in the film. The themes about life and essential love are the best part of …Around. There is some real insight put in to all of them and it is very reflective upon reality, making it very easy to relate to the movie, the characters, and what they are trying to do. One of the most universal aspects of the movie is how is deals with college and the unknown that is still present for the future. Doyle struggles and has so much to beat just to stay in college and have a chance. His future beyond college is not promised. This is the case for any major, but film or any of the arts really, are much less predictable. With so many people trying to get noticed in these fields, it can be hard to show originality, what you really want to say and what others want to see, and become a success doing these things. There are challenges thrown at Doyle at every aspect of his life. He is maxing out credit cards just to attempt to get through college that will give him massive debts for years and years to come after he graduates. There is questioning when you have to go through so much whether any of it will even make a difference. This is a powerful question that …Around explores and it really speaks to the youth of today. The successes of …Around were accomplished because of Spaltro. Sure there are points that could have been given a bit more depth, but over all Spaltro’s creative voice is captured in the film, making it exert a high level of relatable realism for film lovers and anyone who has struggled or strived for anything in life.
Excellent review.
Sounds like a good first film. Very promising.