Layover

--So this movie was released earlier this month on VOD (video-on-demand). A lot of new independent movies are being released this way and instead of missing out on them, I am going to start reviewing them because they are just as good if not better than some of the big theatrically released blockbusters.

Joshua Caldwell's debut feature is startling beautiful love letter to the city of Los Angeles as witnessed through the eyes of an outsider. The film also takes a startling turn of having most of the dialogue spoken in French, as the main character is from Paris.

Simone (Nathalie Fay) is flying from Paris to Singapore, but when her connecting flight from LA is cancelled, she ends up with a twelve hour layover in the city. Confused as to what to do, she meets up with her old friend Juliette (Bella Dayne). They go out and enjoy the night and whilst they do this, Simone meets a mysterious French biker (Karl E. Landler), who takes her around the city.

This film takes an interesting look at the city of LA. While we see some of the sights that are not exactly high on the list of any tourist, we are presented with a beautiful and vibrant city. The characters bounce from one side of the city to another and through a series of amazing driving sequences, we don't end up missing any of it.

Despite LA being the home of one of the largest film industries in the world, Layover is slightly critical of the industry and the lengths that people will go to be a part of it. Simone's friend Juliette is an actress trying hard and failing to break into the industry but can't even get above the stage of commercials. The motorcyclist is a screenwriter who craves more fulfilling work and hates the fact that he is only appreciated for his shitty horror scripts.

On top of all these heavy themes and imagery, the film is cinematically amazing and draws slightly from the French New Wave of the 1960s. The use of jump cuts reminds me a lot of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, while the heavy use of close ups early on focus on Fay's soft features.

Fay is amazing in this. She is an American actress playing a French person with amazing ease. Her character is not supposed to know any English whatsoever and you really believe that this is the case. You feel just how uncomfortable she is in this new city. Karl E. Landler is also superb and likeable in his role. Despite never learning his name you feel that he is a genuine person. Landler also translated Caldwell's script to French.

Verdict: An amazingly visual love letter to Los Angeles with slightly critical undertones and a very cynical ending.