I will say there's a lot of cheap and boring romance stories coming out that don't strike a chord with me but Summer Night kept me engaged. Despite having cardboard characters and an unoriginal plot, I could feel potential. Its difficult to make a completely original story and so the orchestration makes the difference.
However, the conclusions that could have been weren't and I felt very unsatisfied many of the different dynamics. I felt there was never real reciprocation between Seth and Mel about her pregnancy and even when Seth stated he wanted the baby, all she showed the audience was dissatisfaction. On one hand, I can see that scene displaying how much uncertainty there is but it wasn't clear enough.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the Taylor and Dana dynamic but her age was never addressed in the movie which was very confusing because - hey, its Hollywood. Literally no one looks their age. They never addressed the age gap and it became clear she was younger till the skinny dipping scene and I just felt uneasy. It was a little disappointing that Vanessa never received more to her story, however I do understand its difficult to get to everyone in an hour and half.
I liked the Jameson, Harmony, Corin storyline. It's not original but the ability to show someone choosing to figure themselves out before making mistakes is a nice plus.
I did not like Lexi and Rabbit's dynamic at all. There were no lessons to be learned from this, Rabbit was childish, unlikable, and not ready to be in a relationship with Lexi at all. I felt seriously bad for her. They had no chemistry. This doesn't mean they're untalented, Lana Condor and Bill Milner have proven to be talented actors. This dynamic just wasn't it.
I'm sure many people came to see Victoria Justice but they should know there is definitely talent in this show besides her. I understand she was marketed a lot because she's the biggest star in the film but its really annoying. Everyone, including her, worked hard and I think the marketing centered on her was a bad choice, even though I understand why.
My issue with this movie is I felt uneasy when it seemed like I was supposed to feel relief. Coming-of-age stories should end with the feeling that everything is going to be okay, even though everything is confusing. Otherwise, if you want to take the route where things are uncertain and its uncomfortable - go for it! Drinking Buddies is a great example of this and that's because it knew what kind of movie it wanted to be. Summer Night was flawed in the sense that it was trying to sell you both ideas with a tone that was constantly switching, and oftentimes deadpan.
So overall - 4.5/10, a typical storyline that actually kept me interested.
Joseph Cross - I hope you keep directing movies. Keep working hard.
However, the conclusions that could have been weren't and I felt very unsatisfied many of the different dynamics. I felt there was never real reciprocation between Seth and Mel about her pregnancy and even when Seth stated he wanted the baby, all she showed the audience was dissatisfaction. On one hand, I can see that scene displaying how much uncertainty there is but it wasn't clear enough.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the Taylor and Dana dynamic but her age was never addressed in the movie which was very confusing because - hey, its Hollywood. Literally no one looks their age. They never addressed the age gap and it became clear she was younger till the skinny dipping scene and I just felt uneasy. It was a little disappointing that Vanessa never received more to her story, however I do understand its difficult to get to everyone in an hour and half.
I liked the Jameson, Harmony, Corin storyline. It's not original but the ability to show someone choosing to figure themselves out before making mistakes is a nice plus.
I did not like Lexi and Rabbit's dynamic at all. There were no lessons to be learned from this, Rabbit was childish, unlikable, and not ready to be in a relationship with Lexi at all. I felt seriously bad for her. They had no chemistry. This doesn't mean they're untalented, Lana Condor and Bill Milner have proven to be talented actors. This dynamic just wasn't it.
I'm sure many people came to see Victoria Justice but they should know there is definitely talent in this show besides her. I understand she was marketed a lot because she's the biggest star in the film but its really annoying. Everyone, including her, worked hard and I think the marketing centered on her was a bad choice, even though I understand why.
My issue with this movie is I felt uneasy when it seemed like I was supposed to feel relief. Coming-of-age stories should end with the feeling that everything is going to be okay, even though everything is confusing. Otherwise, if you want to take the route where things are uncertain and its uncomfortable - go for it! Drinking Buddies is a great example of this and that's because it knew what kind of movie it wanted to be. Summer Night was flawed in the sense that it was trying to sell you both ideas with a tone that was constantly switching, and oftentimes deadpan.
So overall - 4.5/10, a typical storyline that actually kept me interested.
Joseph Cross - I hope you keep directing movies. Keep working hard.