Joe is another man in the walkabout of everyday life. Perhaps he is forgettable to anybody but himself, and those memories he carries with him. You see, Joe simply wants out of life, to end it, but on one day he joins a suicide support group and meets a disruptive young woman only calling herself 'Z'. This seemingly fearless woman with a swaggering pomposity gives Joe pause, not only about himself but about what Z hides beneath that facade.
Suicide is not an easy subject to approach in film, or TV for that matter. Hollywood and the networks are loaded with bad examples of tasteless portrayals of people with suicidal thoughts. One that comes starkly to mind is the short lived, thank goodness, TV show The Powers That Be in which David Hyde Pierce, pre-Frasier, played the suicidal son-in-law of a senator, to comical effect.
Using a wraparound narrative, director Mark Battle begins at an advanced point in the timeline of the story and then goes back to events leading up to that point. Not events which are the cause of it, but events which put it into perspective, as well starting off with this part of the story puts the character of Joe and those few hours into perspective.
The cinematography keeps the focus in check while blending supportive elements. One thing I want to particularly praise though, as often it is underscored until it is bad, is the excellent audio in this. I often overlook audio issues so long as I can hear the dialogue, but I just want to call out Robert Beal of BB3 Studio and Shawn McHenry for a job beautifully done. The audio on this is clear as a bell and so well balanced.
Here Lies Joe is a story that gives one something to think about in a presentation that is not only well done but is a feel good film. I can't say anything bad about it; hence my rating.
My Rating: 5 Fingers; I give it a High Five!
You can watch Here Lies Joe on Vimeo
Visit the Sweven Films official website.