"Before we go"

Title: Before We Go
Director: Chris Evans
Writer: Ronald Bass, Chris Shafer, Jen Smolka, Paul Vicknair
Category: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Duration: 89 min
Rate: 

This movie is the directorial debut for Chris Evans, it was presented last year at the Toronto Film Festival in the special presentations section, and to me it can be considered as a small gem.

The plot is quite simple, Brooke Dalton misses the 1:30 train to Boston and she desperately has to go back home before the next morning. Unfortunately, she was also robbed and she doesn't have any money with her to buy a bus ticket. Her phone is busted as well. Among these misfortunes in the middle of Grand Central Station, she meets Nick, a trumpet player in NYC for an audition that could potentially change his life. Among his own personal trouble he will try to help her during this long night, while at the same time starting to fall in love with her.
Chris Evans found a really nice story to tell as his first movie as director, the film is not that long, even though the 89 minutes seem to stretch to match the whole night the two protagonists are spending together. The cinematography is not perfect, but it has its brilliant moments that show the potential that he has for this career. Sometimes the camera trembles a little and some close ups, focused on the person in the shot, make the background too blurry, but it could be a conscious choice since he wants to make the audience pay attention to the characters' facial expressions and feelings.
As an actor, once again he showed that he is not just a handsome guy trying too hard. His eyes are soulful and with them he reflects the struggle and the pain that Nick is feeling at some moments. His killer smile comes handy when he has to cheer up Brooke and the way in which he gets into character always blows my mind.
Pairing him up with Alice Eve was a good choice as well, they have good chemistry together and they sell the falling in love slowly but all of a sudden really well. I was invested in what was happening and every once in a while I shed a few tears.
All in all Before We Go is a nice romantic movie, an open love letter to trust and to never see the glass half empty. It is also a love letter to New York and its magic. Even in the most unknown places the Big Apple can be breathtaking and it is the perfect background, with its silence and its noises and also paired up with a really good soundtrack, for this movie.

Till next time,

Fred

PS: the movie was presented at the TIFF and the Seattle International Film Festival, and now it is available on iTunes and on demand from the 21st of July.

Here the trailer: