Sneakers & Soul (2009) User Reviews

Rare feel-good yet honest indie film

[Mona1976 · 8/10 · 11 April 2010]

Just saw this at the Tallahassee Film Festival. Was expecting your typical, bleak and depressing angst-filled indie film, as so many seem to be these days. Much to my surprise, Sneakers and Soul was neither bleak nor saccharine sweet. While this film treads in both waters, it does so appropriately, and ultimately comes across as a touching yet legitimate coming of age story.

Although the film may have a slow start, the characters' narrative pulled me in and it was definitely worth the wait. In particular, the role of "Vicki" (and the actress's performance) was especially sincere and believable. As an added note (since I'm a music buff), the film's soundtrack was excellent, and it substantially added to the movie's unexpected, upbeat vibe. I'm impressed that this was a first feature film, and I would certainly watch the next.

A different kind of road trip

[ageitgey · 9/10 · 25 April 2010]

The movie begins with a young, burnt-out lawyer named John inheriting a pair of shoes and an apartment from his father. His father was universally beloved and known for enjoying life to the fullest. John, however, lives a life focused on his career and seems to be lacking the joie de vivre of his father.

When his life gets particularly stressful, John decides to put his work on hold for a few days and go on a road trip of sorts to visit the apartment that he has inherited from his father. But instead of driving the three hours to New York City, he decides to try living in the style of his father and walk. And instead of saying in hotels, he will sleep in whatever bed he happens to find. Strapping on his father's shoes, he sets off on an unconventional road trip.

This movie was a really enjoyable take on finding one's self in the middle of modern suburbia. Instead of escaping civilization in a deserted wilderness, the characters in the movie trek through suburban neighborhoods. The characters are in full on hiking mode while walking down sidewalks in front of houses with children playing and looking on. It's a great image with a lot of humor.

The best part of this movie are the characters. The main character meets old friends and new friends on his journey and they are all developed really well. In particular, the girl played by Marie Cecile Anderson was really great and added a lot of joy to the movie.

One or two scenes didn't work quite perfectly. In particular, there is a fight scene that doesn't fit the flow of the movie very well and there is a coincidence involving the owner of some bicycles that seems a little too on the nose. But otherwise, this movie is an engaging adventure with great characters. It's also really funny throughout.

I saw this movie at the Riverside Film Festival and the budget given by the film makers during the Q&A was amazingly low compared with how good the movie looked on screen. This movie was made for probably less than the cost of a day of catering on Transformers II but it looked great and was a lot more enjoyable. While I wouldn't directly compare it with these movies, if you like movies such as Garden State, Little Miss Sunshine or even 500 Days of Summer, you would definitely enjoy this movie.

"No matter what you do in life, always have a perfect bed and a comfortable pair of shoes, because when you're not in one, you're in the other."

[lordhumungus513 · 8/10 · 5 March 2011]

I had the pleasure of seeing this recently at the Macon Film Festival and instantly fell in love with it. This is not just an ordinary everyday comedy infused drama. It is so much more than that. I sincerely hope Jonathan Zelenak and Marty Buccafusco will continue to work together and bring there amazing talents to modern day cinema.

In my opinion,Some films earn all the accolades they receive. Some will even live forever in the hearts and minds of film lovers the world over. Some films inspire creative minds to create their own variations and further enrich the lives of the movie-going public. This film is indeed all of them rolled into one complete audio+visionary+sensory work of art.

So many things come together to make this work so highly enjoyable; acting, writing, music, pace, directing...DIALOGUE Man I can't get over just how well written the dialogue was and how everything just seemed to me to flow together so perfectly. I will argue against those that may find that the movie was a little slow at first, I believe the amazing storytelling arc that completely overwhelms the viewer by the end speaks for it's self.

Good by itself, great at a film festival!

[rebeccaholland · 8/10 · 30 April 2010]

This movie was really good but looked even better compared to the short films that came before it.

I saw this film at a certain small regional film festival. It looked really professional! The credits were classy motion graphics and I felt like I was watching a movie made for the big screen, not just a computer screen.

The film gets off to a slightly slow start and I was worried it would feel a little 'oh golly shucks' trite but just 10 minutes in it was a lot more sincere. The movie only got better from there.

Memorable scenes: A character slapping (literally) his clothes off and jumping around on a bed. Little girl bicycles. Vickie's ADORABLE first appearance (seriously, I hope this girl is the next Zooey Deschanel).

I think you should watch this movie. At the very least you will see a full-length feature that was made on a CRAZY low budget (I know, I asked) and looks really, really good. I do not think it's possible to dislike this film.

Finally... some soul!

[margetwormwood · 9/10 · 23 June 2010]

I have watched and enjoyed films my whole life. I have gone to the theater at least once a week for 20 years. I guess I am what one might call a "movie buff".

I like to believe I know what the difference is between a good and a bad film. Sneakers & Soul is one of the good ones.

In a time when big studio films have lost their way, it was nice to sit and enjoy a film with an actual story. Long gone are the days of films with substance. One must venture into the world of indie films to enjoy what used to be the standard for Hollywood.

Sneakers & Soul brought me back to those days.

It was a great film with colorful characters (my favorite being a young woman named Vicki) who take you on a journey across the state of New Jersey, by foot.

The characters encounter many obstacles along the way, some funny, some serious, and learn the value of friendship as they make the long trek to New York.

This film has a great message and leaves you feeling happy in the end. It reminded me what it was like to be a kid again. I hope everyone will get a chance to see this film.

Refreshing film for all.

[amandatabler · 8/10 · 14 May 2010]

I got to see this film at the Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Pete, Florida. I saw many films at the festival, but by far, Sneakers & Soul was my favorite. It was intelligent, as well as funny. The beginning started out a bit slow, but once it got going, it was a fun ride.

My favorite character was the female character, Vicki. She shows up in the film right when she is needed, and helps move the story along to the end.

I was shocked to find out that this was a very small budget film written, directed, and produced by a group of friends. Very impressive.

I'm hoping to see more stuff from this team of filmmakers in the future. They know how to tell a great story.

Coulda', Woulda, Shoulda . . .

[cheryllynecox-1 · 3/10 · 10 April 2010]

I had no preconceived notions about this Tallahassee Film Festival offering when I viewed it last night, but I am always willing to surrender to quirky art and off-beat creativity. I didn't find much of either in "Sneakers and Soul" to be able to recommend it. The best thing about it is its title, and the second best thing is the charming young actress who plays a featured role.

Actually, there are some other entertaining elements. I enjoyed the opening animation although it seemed to introduce the wrong film. The soundtrack is pleasant, too. "Sneakers and Soul" is simply the little movie that tried way too hard to be an art film. It played like a big-budget student film with rich images and artful tableaux, but the dialogue often seemed as contrived as some of the absurd situations.