Some feature films merit a different approach to film analysis outside the Syd Field or Aristotelian paradigm of structure. For example, with Lucky Life, it’s not so much the plot behind the film that’s critical to understanding it. Instead, it’s the movie’s predisposition created through the naturalistic style of filmmaking used to tell its story. Lee Isaac Chung, writer/ director of Lucky Life, focuses on a character story here – and one that does not suffer from a non-plot driven narrative.

Mark (Daniel O’Keefe), Alex (Richard Harvell), and Karen (Megan McKenna) spend their summer in a beach house with their close friend Jason (Kenyon Adams), who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, and this is the last summer they may be spending together. There is unspoken sadness underlying the emotional state of Jason’s friends as they all enjoy the last moments that life has bestowed upon them.

Jason’s best friend Mark, who is a writer, tells the story as it happened.  The narrative is broken up between the past (the beach house), and present, when Jason -- now married to Karen – is finishing his novel.

When filming exteriors, Chung makes poetic use of the environment. The calm waters and fields have an underlying hint of duality that seems ever present beneath the surface of every living organism, which adds to the film’s textured, visual palette. Inside the house, however, Chung uses recurring semi-silhouettes and mirrors to tell his story about Mark. The question is why?  

Looking beneath the surface of each individual motif, a mirror could serve many purposes. In this case, the relationship of the mirror to the character would suggest self-reflection on oneself and one’s life. Why was Mark constantly self-reflecting when on the surface he seems to be satisfied? Chung also relies on semi-silhouettes when lighting Mark’s face. The cinematic value of using such motifs suggests that Mark’s character is only telling the viewer half the story about himself. As the film progressed, the question of ‘will these cinematic tools justify their usage?’ persisted in my mind, and to my satisfaction it was answered in a very subtle yet powerful way.

The best style I can think of to define Lucky Life is Modern Neo-Realist. The film includes about eighty percent practical or natural lighting, most of the actors are naturals yet non-professional, and there are long, uncut takes that define the body of the movie. While this indie gem may not be for everyone, it certainly tells a traditional story in an effective and cinematic way, making it well worth watching.

(Lucky Life premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and is presently seeking distribution. For more information, go to the film's official site by clicking here.)