Directed by Stephen Ward and written by actor/producer Rich Grosso, P.J. Marino, and Jessica Abrams, this is a story about romance between two mature individuals who “weren’t looking for anyone” at the time they meet, but there is interest. There is humor and drama as is to be expected in relationships, and more so when there is a of history of heartache, a lack of self-confidence and other factors that may keep people from a commitment with someone new. It would be a disservice to call this film a “romantic comedy” as some of those scripts are not the strongest and the audience loses interest. This script is well written, strong and most important the respect that remained throughout for the women characters (of varied ages) and the emotions they are working through. Another strength is the authenticity of the characters and their respective life history as they work through to improve their lives. This is not just about romantic partners, but in friendships and family relationships as well.
Lara (Victoria Kelleher) works as a server at a diner close to her home. She does venture out for an evening of entertainment at a local venue where her good friend, CJ (Viva Vinson) is a great vocal talent. Lara refuses to join her in karaoke during the weeknight outings. Saturday night out is rare for her. When she does go out one Saturday night, she overhears a gentleman at the bar that is humorous and catches her eye but tries not to show it. By the end of the evening, she shares something with CJ, and she introduces Pat Leone (Grosso). CJ confirms he is a nice guy to alleviate some of Lara’s anxiety.
Slowly they do learn about each other after Lara gives in to start what she considers just a friendly relationship with Pat. Both have former marriages, but Pat has a daughter, and Lara does not have children, explaining she could not have children. They do play it quite safely as they move forward, including going for a bike ride (for their health) that leads to some great communication between them as they take a break. The script does show the two adults trying to effectively communicate. They do well until they allow their insecurities to take over. To say more would spoil the story for you.
Some of the funny moments in the film show Lara arguing with her television as a news anchor (Stuart Fratkin, “They Came from Outer Space” TV series) is at his news desk. Lara is surprised when the anchor breaks from the news segment to add comments about Lara’s life, her decisions about her change, etc. Of course, only Lara can hear the voice in her head, but the scenes are funny between these two characters. These scenes occur more than once and in timely ways as Lara and Pat are dating.
Stephen Ward does a good job in his feature film debut as a director (IMDb) and to cinematographer, Ricardo Jacques Gale (The Ossan, Best Cinematography nominee at Screen ATX 2024) who captures great close-up shots of emotion filled faces, as well as happy group scenes. Both are talented and I look forward to future work.
Don’t Say It made its world premiere at the 12th annual Studio City International Film Festival at the Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood, CA. This is a film to be sure to watch as it continues its journey on screens in film festivals, etc. Keep this on your list of when you can watch the film soon.
Source: Studio City International Film Festival
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