★★★
This is an impressive movie for what went into it. It was shot with a digital camera and a tiny budget of $25,000; I think I read the actors did their own clothes, hair and make-up, too. Director Edward Burns even played one of the main roles, and you have to think that might’ve been yet another budget decision. And Burns is distributing the movie thru i-tunes and VOD since he doesn’t have studio backing. It’s an independent, independent movie.
And lots of it is good. I like the strong sense of place in the film, almost like seeing through a camera wandering around the Hamptons with a not-long-out-of-college kid who is trying to make decisions about his future. And the story is on, too, dealing with that decision and with young adults deciding how to move into adulthood. Script isn’t bad either.
My only strong reservation here is the acting. Knowing that the set and staff was small, I was still constantly taken out of the film by the declamatory delivery of lines. And though many would disagree, the delivery of Burns himself was one of the weakest elements. The near shouting and limited tonal range of the actors’ voices would probably work alright on a stage, but it didn’t work at all in this intimate filmof a big decision point in a life.
Nice Guy Johnny has lots going for it, especially given its indie context…..I really wish it had had better performances.
