Director Alex Holdridge's In Search of a Midnight Kiss is being heralded by many critics as "the best independent film this year." With award season in sight, I won''t be so bold yet. But I am certainly not surprised that it has garnered such astounding reviews.
Shot in black and white, the film focuses on two lonely people searching for love on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles. Brought together by a desperate ad on Craig's list, nice-guy Wilson (Scoot McNairy) and crass Vivian (Sara Simmonds) meet for a roller coaster of a first date.
In Search of a Midnight Kiss manages to be simultaneously thoughtful, romantic, witty, and tragic. All of the characters have baggage, and all of the relationships seem to be somewhat mismatched.
Above all, its an incredibly beautiful, realistic film that captures the complexities of human relationships.
It is almost surreal to watch a film seamlessly integrate web culture references like "The Lost Shoe Project" and more obvious things like Facebook, Myspace, and Craigslist. Often times, movies come off as too gimmicky when they include these things. Sometimes it feels like the screenwriter is desperately trying to be "current." However, because the acting is so natural in this film, you feel like the characters could be your friends discussing their trivial interests and technological dependencies.
In Search of a Midnight Kiss is a testament to the fact that independent cinema in America may still be alive, well, and thought-provoking.
*A
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