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Cast: Mike Reeping, Julia Warner, Theo Mahony, Rebecca Steer, Tatiana Duffey
Tommy Fulmer, a stand-up comedian has it all - the beautiful wife - the beautiful daughter and a dream job that's about to come true! That's all until Tommy is caught with possession of narcotics and sentenced to a decade of hard time. The film follows Tommy's journey starting with the day of his release. Tommy, a father who won't quit, ventures through the city of Pittsburgh trying to reclaim his daughter that he'd lost. Finding out that the road is harder than it looks, Tommy turns to drinking and occupying the city's alleyways at night, living life as a newly homeless man. That's until he meets a four legged friend who shares the same type of living circumstances. The two team up together in an adventurous, emotional, and truly compelling story as Tommy "Funny-Man" Fulmer attempts to climb his way from the bottom of the ladder and back to the top one more time!
Let me begin by giving everyone a little background on the film. Point Park University students in Pittsburgh, PA. spent a few months last summer putting together "Pretty Little Things" for a mere $8,000. About 100 students worked on the movie spearheaded by senior and writer-director Alex Di Marco, who worked with key producers Heidi Schlegel, Cory Stoken and Jordan DiRisio.
Let me start off by saying that the film's budget does not reflect the finished product. The production values look so much higher and the cinematography is simply gorgeous and it really shows off the beautiful city of Pittsburgh. The story is about a man named Tom Fulmer who seems to have it all until one day all his dreams are shattered when he is arrested on drug possession charges. Tom is sent prison and is finally released 9 years, 214 days later but everything has changed, his wife has moved on, his career that he once had is no longer there and his daughter is grown now and wants nothing to do with him. Tom seems to be another lost soul that takes to drinking too much and sleeping just about anywhere he can but fate soon changes all that. A stray dog steals his keys one night and Tom chases the dog down the street and into a local bar, there he notices his daughter with her boyfriend. Tom approaches his daughter but she wants no part of him and a fight ensues between Tom and the boyfriend, in the end Tom is laying out on the sidewalk bloody and beaten but the dog is also is also hurt in the fight so Tom decides to take the dog to the vet to see what is wrong with him. The vet tells him the dog only has months to live if it doesn't receive attention soon but the surgery is not cheap. Not knowing what to do Tom decides to keep the dog till he figures things out and it's then that he notices a sign for open auditions for a stand-up comedy show that will net the winner 50,000. Being out of options Tom decides to give it a shot.
To go on about what happens in the movie would only ruin it for those waiting to see the film so I am going to stop here. What I can tell you is "Pretty Little Things" is packed full of emotions, there are dramatic moments full of tension and heartbreak and then there's lighter moments with plenty of laughs and smiles to go around as well. The drama and comedy moments are mixed together perfectly and the dialogue is well-written and smart. One of the biggest challenges when making a Independent film is getting a cast together that can do a good job playing their characters but that wasn't the case here. The entire cast did a great job playing their roles and making their characters believable but the two stand-out performances here are from Mike Reeping who is terrific as Tom and Julia Warner who is also amazing as Deanna, a young lady Tom meets up with and begins to develop a relationship with despite the obvious age difference. The two are wonderful actors and show great chemistry together on screen.
Another thing that is very impressive about the film is the fact that this is Alex Di Marco's first time writing and directing a film, Alex did an amazing job telling the story of a man that is just looking for a chance to redeem himself. He keeps the film moving at a brisk pace, there is never any time to get bored even during the slower parts of the film. I see a bright future ahead for this very talented film maker.
I will end this review by saying that "Pretty Little Things" isn't just a film that looks bigger than it's budget suggests, no it's much more than that. This is a well-written and directed drama that gets the audience involved and engaged right from the start. The characters are realistic and you feel and care for them as soon as you get to know them. The cast is amazing and the film touches your heart and even provides a good number of laughs along the way as well. I highly recommend checking this little Indie film out. You can find out more about the film at it's official web site HERE. Also the filmmakers are offering everyone a chance to watch the film for free two days this month, you can find out about it at the web site as well.
I really enjoyed "Pretty Little Things" and I can safely say this is only the beginning of big things to come for all involved. This is a film well-worth seeing and supporting.
Released by Pretty Little Pictures, LLC.
**** Out Of *****