...although I find it difficult to believe it was made for a mere $17K. There's just too much on screen and too many people behind for that to seem possible. Nonetheless, whatever the budget, "Bellflower" at the very least demonstrates certain glimmers of talent hidden within the flaws of a half-baked script and guerrilla-style presentation. A heartfelt "Hey, gang, let's make a movie!" approach can only go so far, and I suspect auteur Glodell would have profited mightily from letting someone else play his lead role, letting him focus on the writing/directing chores. That said, I'd also like to mention that criticisms of the acting are, I think, unfounded, and that perhaps the disdain stems from a dislike of the characters themselves, none of whom are terribly admirable. In particular, I'd say that Rebekah Brandes assayed the least developed of the four leads quite well, and is the likeliest of the cast to have a long career in acting. The others aren't awful, but I believe were mostly playing themselves rather than stretching.
So, despite its "mumblecore" style (whatever that is), generally unsympathetic characters, and unappetizing themes of aimlessness, dissolution, and inchoate rage and frustration, I found "Bellflower" to be an interesting bellwether look at the zeitgeist of the current 20-something generation. They have my sympathy and admonitions to hang in there; things could actually be a lot worse. And those of you interested in atypical indies could do a lot worse than this one.
So, despite its "mumblecore" style (whatever that is), generally unsympathetic characters, and unappetizing themes of aimlessness, dissolution, and inchoate rage and frustration, I found "Bellflower" to be an interesting bellwether look at the zeitgeist of the current 20-something generation. They have my sympathy and admonitions to hang in there; things could actually be a lot worse. And those of you interested in atypical indies could do a lot worse than this one.