Director: Don Gerardo Frasco
Starring: Baron Geisler, Ilona Struzik
Running time: 90 minutes
WAVES is the directorial debut of Don Gerardo Frasco and tells the story of a couple rekindling an old romance. This is no ordinary love story though as Sofia (Ilona Struzik) and Ross (Baron Geisler) face cultural, geographical and emotional obstacles.
WAVES offers so much but sadly doesn’t deliver its promise. Don Gerardo Frasco’s direction offers us a non-linear style which is effective in reflecting the couple’s confused relationship, and the unpolished nature of the film’s style is welcomed to show a creative approach to a simple story but unfortunately, there are a number of flaws within the beauty.
The dialogue is dry and boring, so it’s so easy to lose interest. Scott Curtis Graham’s writing is simplistic and lacks that hit of emotive or thoughtful prose. Baron Geisler and Ilona Struzik’s delivery was static and, therefore, certainly a reflection of the uninspiring script they’re working with. Every conversation is forgettable, if it weren’t for the constructed montages of the couple’s deliberate body language the story would fall completely flat. I didn’t have the expectation for a grand Hollywood-style production, but you with indie productions, you hope for a better story. Frasco’s unassuming construction of the couple’s more personal and intimate gestures draws you in more than the conversational portions of the movie.
Baron Geisler and Ilona Struzik are a confusing pair, their actions are mechanical and it’s hard to empathise with their story. There is a struggle to connect with them both, and there’s a frustration in wanting to see more from them. They still have room to grow as performers, unfortunately their abilities feel somewhat restrained.
There are positives here though, as Don Gerardo Frasco certainly displays his talents as a director. His style offers some thoughtful camera work, highlighting the beautiful landscape and offering some personal and intimate shots that are sadly overshadowed by the dreary narrative. Nonetheless, there are some incredible shots of the natural landscape. From submerging into deep waters to the echoing thunder displays that play out at night, Frasco has a talent for displaying the wondrous surrounds and the film has found an ability to conjure an envious illusion of life on a paradisiacal island.
WAVES has a premise that sounds intriguing but lacks the execution or real substance to be remembered. The only real highlight is Don Gerardo Frasco’s direction who definitely has the flickers of a promising career ahead and WAVES can be a platform from which those talents will grow.
[usr=2] WAVES is available to download now, please visit their official site for more.
