SLIFF 2014 Review – WARREN

WARREN screens at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:15 PM as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. Get ticket information here

From the concrete canyons of the Windy City comes this intimate tale of a post college twenty-something at a crossroads while dealing with an unraveling family and the return of a lost love. When we first meet Warren (writer/director Alex Beh), he’s rummaging through his mementos in the basement of his soon-to-be-demolished suburban childhood home. His grizzled Pop (John Heard) is living on booze and quickly fading memories while Mom (Jean Smart) has moved on and out, now living, along with Warren’s out-of-control kid brother, with a new beau. But Warren’s got his own life in the “city of broad shoulders”. He’s thrown in the towel on his acting dreams, but still occasionally joins two buds on-stage for some late night comedy improv at a local pub. Most days he’s a barista, serving over-priced drinks and pastries to yuppies at an independent coffee shop. But then one night she walks in. Emma (Sarah Habel) was the high school sweetheart who stuck with him until only a couple of years ago when both careers became stagnant. She was going to pursue her art muse in LA, but Emma’s back in Chi after giving up the oils and easels for selling pricey real estate. Oh, and she’s getting ready to marry her business partner, the driven overbearing Ted. As Emma’s trips to the coffee shop become more frequent, Warren must decide whether to give up the safe life and pursue his dreams, and lady-love, or perhaps end up filled with frustration and regret like dear ole’ Dad.

Beh has helmed an engaging slice of life comedy/drama that puts a fresh spin on the old “reuniting and it feels so good” movie romances. He shows us that Emma is at a crossroads too and not just flirting with the nostalgia of a former life. The cast is filled with energetic young actors in brief, quirky roles alongside with seasoned veterans like Second City alum Bruce Jarchow as a sympathetic landlord/acting mentor and the always entertaining Smart and Heard, who tugs at the heartstrings. Like many “rom-coms” we get a montage of the frolicking couple cavorting through the streets and the location work on the bustling Chicago streets is dazzling. WARREN is a most entertaining debut feature that will hopefully be the start of a great film making career.