From Embers

I JUST HAVE TWO MINOR QUIBBLES ABOUT "FROM EMBERS." ONE IS WITH THE DEPICTION OF THE CORRUPT POLICEMAN, DETECTIVE COLLAZO. I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE POLICE OFFICERS LIKE HIM IN REAL LIFE, BUT THEY ARE DEFINITELY IN THE MINORITY. THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF POLICE OFFICERS DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM GRIEF. I ALSO WISH THAT WE HAD FOUND OUT EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY LILY RECEIVED FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THAT WOULD HAVE MADE HER VICTORY EVEN SWEETER!

ONE OF THE MOST TRAGIC THINGS IN LIFE IS TO BECOME A WIDOW (OR WIDOWER) AT A YOUNG AGE & ANOTHER ONE OF THE MOST TRAGIC THINGS IN LIFE IS TO LOSE A PARENT AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. FORTUNEATELY, KATE BOHAN MAKES US FEEL THIS WITH BOTH HER DIRECTION & HER SCREENPLAY. ONE OF THE WAYS SHE ACCOMPLISHES THIS IS THROUGH HER INGENIOUS USE OF BOTH CLOSE-UPS & TWO-SHOTS. WE SEE THIS AT FIRST IN THE SCENE BETWEEN LILY (KARA WANG) & A MAN WHO IS INTERVIEWING HER FOR A JOB. HE MAKES A DISMISSIVE REMARK ABOUT HOW SHE HASN'T HAD A "REAL" JOB FOR AWHILE. (LILY WAS WORKING AS A HOUSEKEEPER AT A MOTEL, WHICH IS CERTAINLY "REAL" ENOUGH FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ENDURE THAT TYPE OF WORK). MS. BOHAN THEN FOCUSES THE CAMERA ON LILY & SHE STARTS TO TELL HIM ABOUT THE HARD TIME THAT SHE HAS HAD IN RAISING AN AUTISTIC SON. WHEN SHE DOES THIS, MS. WANG'S TONE BECOMES MORE & MORE IMPASSIONED & MS. BOHAN MOVES THE CAMERA CLOSER & CLOSER TO MS. WANG & THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO WOMEN'S WORK REALLY MAKES US UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH LILY HAS BEEN THROUGH. AND, WHEN LILY LEAVES THAT MAN'S OFFICE, WE SEE A DISTRAUGHT LOOK ON MS. WANG'S FACE, WHICH MAKES US REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT THAT EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN FOR LILY. MS. BOHAN ALSO CAPTURES THE DIFFICULTY OF LILY'S JOB BY SHOWING US SHE HAS TO DEAL WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT FROM BOTH A CUSTOMER & HER BOSS. (AND THE RESPONSE THAT LILY GIVES TO THE BOSS WHO IS HARASSING HER IS DEFINITELY EMPOWERING). I ALSO LOVED THE TWO-SHOT THAT WE SEE OF LILY WHEN SHE IS CRYING WHILE HOLDING A PHOTOGRAPH OF HER LATE HUSBAND, RON. WHEN WE SEE THE DOUBLE IMAGE OF LILY SITTING BACK-TO-BACK WITH HERSELF IN WHAT IS SUPPOSEDLY A VIEW OF HER IN A MIRROR, IT MAKES LILY'S SENSE OF ANGUISH EVEN MORE VIVID THAN IF WE HAD ONLY SEEN HER IN A ONE-SHOT. AND THERE IS ALSO PLENTY OF ANGUISH IN THE WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE BY ALEXANDER J. LEE AS HER SON, KEVIN. WHEN WE HEAR THE TEARFUL DELIVERY OF HIS LINES TO HIS FATHER AT HIS FATHER'S GRAVESITE, WE GET A POWERFUL SENSE OF HOW AWFUL HIS DEATH HAS BEEN FOR KEVIN, & ALSO OF HOW HE MISSES HIM. AND, WHEN WE HEAR THE TENDER TONE THAT HE USES WHEN HE TELLS LILY WHY HE WANTED HER TO GO ON THE CAMPING TRIP WITH HIM, WE REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH KEVIN LOVES HIS MOTHER & HOW MUCH HE NEEDS HER. AND THE SOFT-SPOKEN TONE THAT KAYLA BOHAN (CHLOE) USES WHEN SHE FINDS KEVIN SITTING AT HIS FATHER'S GRAVESITE SUCCESSFULLY INDICATES HOW MUCH CHLOE CARES ABOUT KEVIN. THERE IS ALSO EXCELLENT WORK BY MATTHEW MORRISON AS CHLOE'S FATHER, MARTY. WHEN WE FIRST SEE MARTY DEALING WITH LILY, HE 'S IN AN ANGRY ALCOHOLIC MODE, & WE SEE HOW MUCH OF A JERK HE CAN BE. BUT, WHEN WE LATER SEE MARTY ENCOUNTER LILY, MR. MORRISON USES A MUCH MORE SUBMISSIVE TONE WHICH SHOWS US HOW MUCH HE WANTS TO RECONCILE WITH LILY & HOW MUCH HE REGRETS HIS PREVIOUS BEHAVIOR. BUT, WHEN MARTY HEARS SOME LIES ABOUT LILY FROM A MAN WHO WORKS FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY THAT IS TRYING TO DENY LILY'S COMPENSATION FOR HER HUSBAND'S DEATH, AND IS TOO QUICK TO BELIEVE THEM, MR. MORRISON SHOWS US MARTY'S DARK SIDE AGAIN. AND HE IS THEN JUST AS CONVINCING WHEN HE USES A GENTLE TONE OF VOICE TO EXPLAIN TO LILY ABOUT HOW SORRY HE IS. THERE IS ALSO A VERY EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE FROM KATHRYN MORRIS AS RON'S FORMER COLLEAGUE, ANGELA. I WELL REMEMBER HOW MUCH I ENJOYED WATCHING MS. MORRIS ON THE EXCELLENT PROCEDURAL DRAMA, "COLD CASE." BUT, IN THIS FILM, SHE REALLY SHOWS US HOW SHE HAS GROWN AS AN ACTRESS, & HOW BELIEVABLE SHE IS AT CONVEYING THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF HER CHARACTER. I JUST HOPE THAT THE MANAGERS OF THE CINEMA VILLAGE WILL RECONSIDER THEIR DECISION TO END THIS FILM'S RUN AFTER THURSDAY OR WILL BRING IT BACK ASAP. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS WONDERFU L FILM!