AMERICAN SPIRIT was an Official Selection of the 2024 Austin Film Festival. Written and directed by Christopher Yates, it stars Yasmeen Fletcher, as Melody, and Cooper Roth, as Jonathan. Eric Johnson, the Director of Photography, did a phenomenal job capturing this movie with well-lit locations, vibrant colors and beautifully cast shadows. In my opinion, the production value of this independent film was on par with a studio movie. Bravo to team, AMERICAN SPIRIT.
Reminiscent of BEFORE WE GO, directed by Chris Evans, AMERICAN SPIRIT had a similar interaction between the main characters that take place over the course of a night. Unlike the former movie, AMERICAN SPIRIT’s main characters were formerly a couple when in high school.
Throughout AMERICAN SPIRIT, the conversations are naturalistic when they discuss where they are now and where they have been. Since it is conversation-centric, I was impressed by the filmmakers ability to capture the sound and/or their ability to loop in any required re-recording via automated dialogue replacement.
There is a moment where Melody gives Jonathan a chance to say the things he’s been wanting to say to her since their breakup. Fletcher’s reaction is sublime in that she is not overly dramatic with taking in something that is making her feel badly. It was subtle but noticeable. In other words, her performance was fantastic. And, Roth’s delivery of his lines that he said pretending to be Melody, was performed with a tenderness and sensitivity that was truly wonderful and believable. This was the norm throughout the film and I found the pair compelling to watch.
For anyone navigating the aftermath of a breakup, this movie offers an opportunity to envision your own path to closure. Originally, this story had certain reveals at specific beats that made me think the movie was mostly Jonathan’s story. I was mistaken, it was also designed to capture Melody’s transformational arc.
Yates captured a lot of wonderful footage of the interaction between Melody and Jonathan. Technically speaking, this independent film looked and sounded as good as any studio movie I’ve watched in theaters. The story is subtle, yet it unfolds beautifully, leading to meaningful growth for both characters. For what it may be worth to the filmmakers, my younger daughter is also a Longhorn. I am, however, an Aggie and this fact had no impact on my being technically wowed by the high quality production value of AMERICAN SPIRIT.
Melody Lopez, Producer Filmmaker Mixer Podcast (posted by Madelyn, Filmmaker Mixer Correspondent)
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