Saving Sophie (2004) Reviews

• Quaint female comedy

  insult2injury2005-07-03

  I saw this independent film at its "Hometown Premier" without any previous knowledge of the story or the filmmakers. The movie was filmed in St. Augustine, FL, utilizing local landmarks, cast and crew. This was the first time being shown in the town in which it was created. The movie is actually two separate stories with the same characters. Part one involves a wedding, part two with a funeral, with neither being particularly connected with one another. The film is an adaption of a full-length play, which in itself was an adaption of a one-act play by writer and director Lorraine Portman. Act One of the movie is basically the one-act version of the play, and reads as such. It's also the strongest half of the film. The core group of characters are four middle-aged women, collectively known as "the aunts". All four are diverse individuals that interact as family might; joking, gossiping, bickering, sniping, but with an underlying warmth and familiarity with one another. Stage adaptations are sometimes tricky to do, because the dialogue still seems like it's being delivered to a live audience, and that is the case here. Charming, yes. Humorous, yes. However, not entirely compelling because of the timing issues in the dialogue and editing. Plus, there are only two acts to this classic farce, not the usual three. Therefore, when the movie ends, it seems sudden, the story unresolved somehow. All in all, I enjoyed the experience. Our free screening had some technical glitches in the middle of the film, which resulted in an unscheduled intermission. The director held her cool, however, and continued the screening with the majority of her audience intact. The costumes were effective, and the music was a great contributor. A good start for an independent filmmaker like Ms. Portman.