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A Huge Waste of Time, 9 July 2009 Author: dpotter2113 from United States
Well, after waiting for several months to find this movie, I was sorely disappointed. I expected a low-budget commentary on relationships through the lens of memory; what I got was a low-budget montage of a guy kissing different girls.I'll start with the story/character elements of the film. There is basically no story here and I can sum up all 80 minutes of it in one line: guy doesn't understand girls and is afraid of commitment. Done. The movie tries really hard to be High Fidelity, mixed with the casual dialog of Before Sunrise, but fails miserably in both. The story bounces around from girl to girl, back and forth with no real semblance of a timeline or clear narrative. The title "Time and Tide" may be trying to make reference to this, but it doesn't hold up very well.The script is written to bombard the viewer with the banal idea that 'love is hard' as if this was some new discovery. In order to do this, it beats you over the head with repetition of the same dialog over and over again, playing it in sound bites throughout the film, especially towards the end. It steals bits of Eternal Sunshine ("you like the idea of me" is almost word for word). The dialog is forced and is obviously written for the convenience of conveying its fore-mentioned banal point. The script is also laced with healthy doses of pop culture references and pseudo-literature fan picks.The actors are wooden and boring all the way through. Despite what other reviewers have said, the actors don't play their parts well; much the opposite, they are on par with high school/early college actors and I didn't care about a single one of them. Through poor acting and bad direction, the viewer doesn't make a connection with anyone and will eventually lose interest in the film altogether.Onto the technical side of things. Oh, what a sad state of affairs. I've seen indie films done well, the prime example being "Primer" which used artificial lighting to its advantage and dealt well with a mostly non-actor cast. "Time and Tide" on the other had goes far beyond being simply indie into the land of total amateur. The digital filming has left noise throughout, especially in the darker scenes (which make up half of the movie). The camera work is incredibly shaky and follows every first year film student cliché. The editing is awful, with various jump cuts that serve no purpose and look like glitches in the film. Although memory flashes are supposed to be a focus, these random moments of previous footage injected into other scenes don't come across as memories, just poor editing. The lighting is awful and half the time isn't white balanced at all. I can see past white balance, like in "Primer", but this film will have one shot be warm and the next be cool in the exact same scene. At one point flecks of dust are even visible on the lens. It doesn't get much worse than that.The soundtrack is annoying and a huge burden. Obviously the only thing they could get the rights to, the film makers have filled every available moment with out of place soft-rock music, a wanna-be Joy Division. The music will swell up during any scene transition, play for ten pointless seconds and then fade out again. Why even bother? Overall, this film is a wash. The lead character spends a third of the film engaging in a mouth-breathing kiss extravaganza, another third lying shirtless in bed, and the final third looking pensive while he contemplates the deep riddle of love. Don't bother with this piece of amateur garbage.
great indie film,, outstanding score, 10 February 2008 Author: wjdonohue1990 from cleveland
Awesome film by Micar Productions! Very artistic way of following the love affairs of one man in L.A. Flashes from past to present keep you into the plot from start to finish. My favorite part of this movie by far is the music. The spunky and fun songs match the action perfectly and create a lively tone for the film. Superb acting by the character Rob makes you forget this isn't a real life story. His passionate and sincere approach on the screen portrays the modern man struggling in relationships and having a hard time finding love perfectly. Great acting, outstanding score, and another hit from Carvaines make this independent film unforgettable.
1 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Time and Tide is a combination of a fun date movie and..., 10 May 2007 Author: dtripodes from Sierra Madre, California USA
Time and Tide is a combination of a fun date movie and a bit of "Swingers" like guy flick. When Rob (Christopher Heltai) is talking on the rooftop with one of his buddies, he goes over the dilemma of how do you know when a relationship is over or if "this is it". Rob asks if there is one person out there for us or many? I think many of us can identify with that - most of us had a high school sweetheart or a college girlfriend/boyfriend that if paths had gone differently, you could have married down the road.It's great seeing Rob's character go through the ups and downs of the different girls he has dated in the past and tries to determine whether or not the beautiful Christina (Nadia Angelini) is the girl for him. She is such a great match for Rob, and has you rooting for her throughout the movie.Great scenery of many vintage spots in Los Angeles too. Locals will recognize cool bars and locations throughout. Two thumbs up for Michael Carvaines and his latest film!
2 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Rob does a great job here!, 9 July 2007 Author: John Carney from United States
I have to agree with the other reviewers here.Rob (played by Chrstopher Heltai) is really great in this role, and definitely has star potential written all over him.The soundtrack is very unique, It must be all original.I thought the film captured the essence of relationships very well, ( at least from a guys' point of view)I think Michael Carvaines did a good job here. That Pedro dude was funny too.worth watching again! Cherly Tsai is great also, very believable.Have a good one Y'all!
2 out of 5 people found the following review useful: European feel with American humor, 6 July 2007 Author: crazydigger from United States
Great acting, well directed, and a beautifully shot film this is. A bit of hope in an ever confusing modern world. A perfect balance between art, characters and story. The type of film Hollywood will never make, but the type of film making that should never die. Touching, thought provoking and real. A true slice of life. Keep an eye on the lead actor who plays Rob. That guy is going to be a star. An everyman, most of us can relate to as he navigates the Los Angeles dating scene with common sense in the midst of the 'loopy' for lack of a better word. Five beautiful actress to boot. Each plays a truly believable character. What more could you want?
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