The Other Side of the Tracks (2008) Reviews

• Student project?

  CasualBuff19562013-05-27

  A bad director can ruin a film despite the cast and crews best efforts. The casting was good as regard the main characters but the hot lesbians, whilst pleasing to the eye did the film no favours. I suspected that they were a later addition to spice up what was a rather stilted, poorly directed and edited movie, but it just served to spoil the film further(and this is a straight guy speaking). Anyway, I gathered that this was filmed on a low budget, however the camera work was very good. I am no stranger to film sets so I tend to notice little things. The railway line location they were principally using was disused, obviously so with all the rust, weeds and fallen deadwood. A coat of oil on top of the rails would have covered the rust and given the impression of recent use. An hour weeding, clearing the fallen twigs and uncovering the sleepers would have completed the impression that it was still in use and not just a defunct line to some old sawmill. Brendan Fehr has let himself go since Roswell days. The baggy shirts don't disguise this unfortunately and he walks like someone out of shape too. What would a gorgeous girl like Amelia really find attractive in a back woods short order chef who is his own best customer? Chad Lindberg is not a bad actor but his part smacked of just one take being enough to satisfy Mr A.D. Calvo. Remake it with a new scriptwriter, with roles for Natassia and Beatrice that contribute to the story. Send Brendan to the gym for three hours a day for a month, and don't let A.D. Calvo direct it again.

• Deeper than you think

  patrickkeogh2010-12-26

  This Film is deeper than you think. You have to see it with the Karmhic wheel in mind. I'm not going to spoil the film, but it's more than meets the eye. Think of it on several levels before you review. There is a cult quality to it's form. Give it a good chance and as I said: Look deeper. The acting is right in form. There is deep foreboding throughout. Excellent main characters with superb appearances from very familiar actors. The mood is very stark in contrast to the very lush cinematography. This characteristic alone will keep you guessing. The music score is excellent in both composition and placement. Excellent coverage and interpersonal relationships. Is it confusing? Yes. It's supposed to be, but the payoff ties everything together nicely, and at the same time leaves options and questions open. A great movie for thinkers. Not your run of the mill suspense supernatural thriller. This film has more to it than meets the eye.

• Kept me guessing till the end

  greene10142010-12-18

  Saw this on Showtime this week and loved it. Wasn't really expecting anything and was surprised to find a cool independent film on a major cable network. The music was great and the haunting feel of the story made me want to snuggle up with my guy. Googled it and saw the film is a bit old. Not sure why its just coming out. Definitely the kind of movie you want to watch more than once. In fact I've already watched it twice. Lots of twists that put things in a diff perspective. Chad Lindberg is amazing. I love ghost stories but don't like too much blood and gore, so this was perfect for me. Haunting and suspenseful, but not too scary (well, except for one or two good "jumps" :) Recommend it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

• Plot less

  jkey592010-12-25

  I'm glad I didn't see the trailer before watching this film as I would have been even more let down. It is very slow and really has no plot. It is definitely short of any real substance. There is no drama, suspense or energy at all or anywhere in the movie. It started out being a film I could have really enjoyed but as it went on I kept waiting for something, anything to happen. But it didn't. And it's another one of those with a empty ending. The acting was OK but just lacked a story and led to no where. The trailer hits on the only fairly good parts and adds more drama than what the movie represents. It would be OK for a teenager but for adults, I wouldn't recommend at all.

• haunting and powerful

  raylustig2010-12-27

  I am a big fan of A.D. Calvo's approach to the thriller/horror genre precisely because it is craftily understated, subtle, eerie, goose-bumpy, and truly haunting. In a genre where movies are commonly padded with obvious digital special effects, cliché chase scenes, gratuitous gore, and incessant explosions, Other Side of the Tracks sets itself apart by being truly about the story first, before the techniques. It is a carefully conceived and beautifully made psychological thriller whose ending forces one to think back through each scene to try to piece together its full meaning. It stays with the you for a while, and makes you think about your own perceptions, memories, delusions, fantasies, etc. Gorgeously filmed in rural Connecticut, featuring a particularly powerful performance by Chad Lindberg, and with a beautiful and evocative score by composer Joe Carrano, Other Side of the Tracks is a remarkable debut film from a very talented director, and I'd like to see where he goes next.