DVD Love Tomorrow
Run time: 79 min
Rating: 6.4
Genres: Romance
Director: Christopher Payne
Writers: Christopher Payne
Stars: Cindy Jourdain, Arionel Vargas, Max Brown
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Storyline After an ex-ballet dancer’s life is turned upside down after receiving devastating news, a chance encounter with a charismatic dancer marks the start to a fragile friendship that might turn into something more profound. |
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Details: Country: UK Release Date: 8 November 2013 (UK) |
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DVD Love Tomorrow
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Set in a 24 hour time frame this is simply a seamlessly beautiful 80 minutes – how on earth Chris Payne manages to move from story line to dance and back again without the invariable 'step' in and out is masterly . Cindy Jourdain is such a natural actress and refined dancer . Arionel Vargas brought a humour and subtle machismo to his acting and dance scenes he really is a face for the future. The heavy Cuban influence brings colour and comedy throughout the film , and Cinematography was top notch augmenting every scene. The music choices throughout the movie were inspiring and well thought through . Even the final solo dance scene by Jourdain as the credits rolled was an absolute joy to watch – it was simply a stunning experience start to finish. Well done everyone involved .
This 79 minute film may not have any huge stars in it but, like many indie pictures, it makes up for that by getting your attention in other ways. Be it the music, the story, or the dancing, there are multiple methods Love Tomorrow can get your attention. Though I must admit it may have a problem keeping it.
Characters & Story Eva (Cindy Jourdain), though known as Maya for most of the story, hasn't danced for nearly 3 years, but still admires the profession. And perhaps that is the main reason why when a man named Oriel (Arionel Vargas) decides to approach her, she decides to follow him around for a day. You see, through him she can live vicariously, and remember a life she no longer is capable of doing professional. One in which she is free to express herself, and can escape many of the problems which live off stage . Their sudden friendship though seems to only be a distraction for both however, for Eva and her fiancé Dominic (Max Brown) have a serious issue they need to discuss, and as for Oriel, he needs to find a job soon for his visa is about to end. Together though, they find time and ways to put their current issues aside and take their love for dancing to remind them why life is worth living.
Praise If you love classical music or dance, especially ballet, this movie is like a kiss on the nose. The music will entrance you, and the way dance is used to tell the story is quite good. As for the story, while it does have some flaws, the overall story about Eva/ Maya needing to get away, and Oriel needing to find something, or someone, to keep his passion alive is quite good. Jourdain I felt played Eva well, and while she didn't have much in the way of charm, she gave Eva just enough personality for you to care about her. As for Vargas, while he had his own background, I feel he was best used in opening Eva up to us and getting her to embrace her talent, even if she could never be at her best.
Criticism When it comes to the film, I felt my focus coming in and out for between every dance scenes was what felt like an intermission in which you were waiting for something interesting to happen or be said. And while both Eva and Oriel are given back stories, this doesn't come as quickly as perhaps it should, much less neither feel as impactful as they perhaps should. The main reason I think this became an issue is because of the characters themselves, and the story's pacing.
Eva comes off very aloof and cold, and for good reason, but you don't understand, even considering her reason, why is she spending a day with this very aggressive stranger (Oriel) who has this almost creepy factor to him? And while Oriel's character does evolve over the course of the film, as does Eva, it feels very much like those moments are done in sprints. You have periods where the film becomes dull; then the characters begin talking about themselves, which could be considered their warm-up; and then they are dancing, vibrant and remind you why you should stick with the movie.
To me though, while not the most horrible moments, those scenes in which we watch the ever awkward Eva peer into Oriel's world were just not interesting. Never mind the occasional language barrier, but then there is the issue of just trying to understand how Eva can meet this complete stranger and find herself spending the day, and night, with him. Which perhaps is more so something I may not understand than an actual negative point, but it does make for a slightly forced story in the beginning.
Overall: TV Viewing Though a nice film, I wouldn't really say it is worth spending money on. A part of me wants to say that it could definitely make good background noise for a nap, but that would take away from the genuinely good points of the movie which makes it seem like there was actually some effort to tell a story. However, during, perhaps, at least a quarter of the film, you are lost between thinking Oriel is looking to trick Eva into helping him get a green card, or for sex, and Eva seems so out of it that until both of them start presenting their back stories and letting us get to know them, it is easy to start dozing off. Thus leading to the belief this is a TV Viewing type of film. One which may make good background noise, but isn't as good as it could have been due to not getting to the heart of the story quicker.
There's a saying: "it's not art unless someone's willing to pay for it." When you watch a beautiful performance in a concert hall, that's hundreds if not thousands of hours of late night practices and often years of discouragement from those more pragmatic. Most spend their short window of opportunity in the back of audition lines and never achieve more than a runner-up status. When the curtain finally drops, all that's left are memories of past possibilities and dreams well spent. These tragic tails are rarely showcased, but if anything, the lives they live are more beautiful than what they'd ever dream to achieve on stage. That's what I love most about this movie.
This intimate tale between seemingly polar opposite strangers at different stages in their dance careers is a romantic tragedy like no other. One's a former professional ballet dancer whose career abruptly ended a few years ago while the other is an experienced contemporary dancer staving off the inevitable end of his career. After years of reconstructing her life from the discipline instilled from ballet's regimen, she's faced again with unfathomable circumstances. A chance encounter with this other dancer starts out as another distraction in the wake of her life unraveling, but develops into something real. Beaten-up by life, she rediscovers herself in his infectious enthusiasm and passion for all the things she's been missing. Despite everything and for however brief, she catches a whiff of her first true love: the lifestyle she once lived and breathed. What pushed her to become successful professionally will inevitably help her overcome her current predicament.
This film definitely embodies everything I love about indie dramas. This is not Black Swan or Center Stage. People actually in the dance community helped make it. The overall plot was masterful. As important as dance is in the movie, it had more of a background ambient role in order to put the characters center stage. I loved how character traits were gracefully revealed throughout. Cindy Jourdain and Arionel Vargas were spectacular and genuine. Cindy was so enchanting and graceful you can't help to feel for her character. Few in Hollywood could give a performance on par with hers. And where did they find Arionel Vargas? Arionel's natural high-on-life persona mixed with his soft, masculine presence colored the film with the right amount of optimism. I can't wait to see what they do next, but top to bottom, I really liked this sobering film.
This is definitely a gray movie not for everyone. The title can be a little misleading. Some will walk away feeling uneasy having just gotten to know two wonderful characters. Despite its soft tone and charisma, some people will see this and polarize to a bleak outlook. However, if they can "find their feet," they can find their way.
If you're planning a career in dance, you should definitely watch this movie.