FILM REVIEW: "As High as the Sky"

[Rachel Galvin]

By Rachel Galvin

(On left: Director Nikki Braendlin, Producer Lena Bubenechik, Caroline Fogarty with I.S. founder Rachel Galvin. Photo by Andrew Rozendal.)

Perfectly put together Margaret (Caroline Fogarty) spends her day ensuring everything is in order. She wonders if she has chosen the right orange pillows for her couch. She adjusts a book, dusts a picture frame and hand-cleans every leaf of the plants in her front rock garden. Her home is immaculate, modern, minimalistic, yet devoid of emotion, much like Margaret herself.

Trapped in her own personal bubble, she does not seem to let anything penetrate her polished exterior, even the self-absorbed aunts (Dee Wallace and Jenny O'Hara) who cluck back and forth in her bluetooth headset as she does Pilates daily. Even though she has a career as a party planner and works with important clientele, her life is superficial. She hides the emotion of her recent breakup and the deeper emotion of the tragedy she knows very little about that happened when she was only 4-years-old.

But her bubble is about to burst, her world will tear at the seams as her free-spirited sister (Bonnie McNeil) wanders unexpectedly into her life, literally landing on her front doorstep without notice with her 10-year-old daughter, Hannah (Laurel Porter) in tow. At first glance, this picture seems to be about Margaret's coping mechanism, her OCD. But it runs much deeper as her false front falls apart and her personality peeks through. What will this vulnerability lead to and what secret will she discover that will cut her to the core and change her life forever?

Surprisingly, this is Nikki Braendlin's first film. Shot mostly within Fogarty's actual home, this film features beautiful cinematography and European style editing (she gives it room to breathe). The acting is superb. Fogarty, known for her quirky roles, pulls off her awkwardness and subsequent breakdown with finesse. Bonnie McNeil is very natural. Her role fits her like a glove. Another surprise is that this was Porter's first role. She believably pulls off unspoken emotion in a subtle way unseen in many child actors. According to the cast, she is "more mature than them all." It certainly shows in her work. Also making an appearance is Roma Maffia ("Nip Tuck," "Dexter," "ER," etc.) Braendlin, who worked as an actress before becoming a writer, seems to have made a good career choice with directing.

This drama really pulls at the heart strings. Bring kleenex. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Although the film starts slow, the wait is well worth it. The surprise ending is heart warming and worth watching.

The film shows at the Palm Beach International Film Festival again (It already showed 4/7) on Tuesday, April 9 at 5 p.m. at the Cobb Theater at Downtown at the Gardens.

Find out more at www.ashighasthesky.com.

Watch trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKiF3pUXzuk