source: Life and Nothing More

Wonderful movie making! Great acting but director is the real star of the show; he makes all the right decisions. One of the rare films that successfully relays an authentic human experience.

Its a tough job to grow up, anyhow or anywhere in the world, in this scenario its a young black man, his little sister, and struggling mother, that works the skin of her hands to make everything work. its a tough story from the black community of the united states, and really a teaser for everybody with a hang to sociology and psychology. its a film about living in a quagmire, and wherever you step its just a swamping quagmire, and if you try to flee you can be sure that you are on somebodys private property. it feels like a direct one take strategy in this film, therefore the acts made are great and the dialouges are well delivered. its a film with not much, but could make you feel all kinda things afterwards. technical product are at average with a minus on the sound work, far too much background noise, even wher you could expect silence. its a film for everybody, and most of all,its not a comedy. its playtime are too long considering the tema, but a good watch if youre interested in the issue. a recommend from the grumpy old man

There is something really powerful about director Antonio Mendez Esparza's latest piece "Life and Nothing More". The film really stands alone as an authentic story of life's hardships told through a single mother's journey of raising her oldest teenage son and youngest daughter while having to work a waitress job at a local diner. Each scene emerges as a new and different day, and this juxtaposition is incredibly effective when observing a family where truly each new day you have something to prove. Throughout the film we observe the mother (Regina) looking to pass along crucial advice to teenage son (Andrew) to help and avoid him falling into the same path as his father who is carrying out a lengthy prison sentence. The absence of the father is a reminder to many Americans that to many in the U.S. population this is a true testament of life and family, where a young boy becoming a man struggles naturally without a father character present. Esparza again is showing audience members that we are all inherently different, but through this incredibly potent storytelling there is a universal truth of doing the best you can with what you have right in front of you.

Life and Nothing More is a full-bodied, raw look at a northern Florida family, that dives headfirst into the subjects of family, race and the working class in America. It is an authentic depiction of life's hardships told through the eyes of a single mother who struggles to raise her oldest teenage son and youngest daughter while having to work a waitress job at a local diner. Many bigger topics are presented such as racial profiling, the 2016 election, and the challenges of being a single mother while working for minimum wage. These are problems that persistently get brought up in the film, but are seen in the background as the main goal of the movie is to present the lives of the characters as they are lived moment to moment. These moments were filled with nuanced performances from the cast that explore the relationships between the characters. The talented actors in this film gave excellent performances but the story line and arc of the heroes is what gives the film life. Director, Antonio Mendez Esparza has created a nuanced, authentic, and emotionally intense piece of work that is truly inspiring.

Antonio Mendez Esparza's world in Life and Nothing More is so genuine and so real it was hard to believe these characters and their experiences weren't based on a true story. This film focuses one the struggles of a single mother and her troubled son. Called a Top Ten film of the year by Variety and the winner of the best film of the year made under $500,000 at the Independent Spirit Awards, Esparza knew exactly how to approach a film of this social impact . This cast of first time film actors are so honest in the emotions they express and the way they approach their conflicts that it's impossible to not fully engage with their issues. Exploring some of modern societies most troubling social issues such as injustice and racism, as well as the endless struggles of working class Americans, making this a film almost any moviegoer can appreciate.

Life and Nothing More has wonderful cinematography work. The film follows Regina, a single mom struggling to make ends meet, and her 14-year-old son, Andrew, who has trouble with the law. With a simple subject: everyday life for this small family living below the poverty line in Northern Florida, the cinematography matches this extremely well. With simple cinematography, it highlights the hardships this sweet family goes through and the effect they are taking on everyone. The focal point of the cinematography is the actors as this film contains a lot of close-ups, and single angle shots. The camera angle in the scene where Regina kicks her boyfriend, Robert, out of her house for fighting with her son, Andrew, is a fantastic angle because it makes you feel like you are actually there, standing in her kitchen, eavesdropping on the whole conversation. This cinematography work really includes the audience and makes them feel like they are actually in the movie, standing right beside or behind Regina throughout.

"Life and Nothing More" is one of the most authentic and raw films I have ever watched. You feel as if you are watching a real-life event happen right in front of you. The set design and lighting of the film created a mood that fit very well within the story line. It expressed a low-income, struggling family. In addition, the acting in this film was remarkable. Andrew Bleechington couldn't have played the role better. His face throughout the movie showed lots of emotion and dramatic feelings. Regina Williams's acting represented the hardship of being a single-parent. She played the role so organically; it felt so real. Overall, excellent, original, and emotional film.

How do I begin to describe how moved I was by this film? "Life and Nothing More" to the core is about how every decision made affects those you love the most, highlighting the importance of family and love in desperate times. The film follows a single mother as she navigates her life while striving to provide for her family and keep her teenage son out of prison. I truly loved the profound look into the life of poor families in southern America as they struggle against poverty and racism that's still deeply rooted in the culture to this day. Director Antonio Mendez Esparza dives into the issue as it is currently, giving the audience a genuine, no frills representation that could easily have been a true story. He uses a shaky camera as a major component of the authenticity that made me feel as if I was a part of the drama unfolding on the screen. Another thing I was impressed with was the acting, especially given that the actors were completely fresh, having never been in a film before. Regina Williams, who played the mother Regina, was even nominated for Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards. Each character was breathtaking and delivered performances that drew me in. I could not recommend this movie more!

Life and Nothing More is a gorgeous look inside the life of a struggling family that is only increasingly harbored due to their miscommunication and lack of understanding of one another. Which may sound like a bleak or heavy synopsis but played out as a beautiful and accurate portrayal of very real struggles experienced by very real people. The film does a fantastic job at capturing the often-difficult relationships that can form between a teenager and a single mother, and the miscommunication/misunderstanding of those relationships. Andrew, the son played by Andrew Bleechington, not only faces misunderstanding with his mother but with almost every other character he encounters in the movie from the therapist and councilor, to his mother's new boyfriend. Regina, the mother portrayed by Regina Williams, has to work every available moment just to keep her family afloat, while also raising and caring for that family all on her own and making sure that her son does not end up like his father, who is serving time in prison. The mother and son are so obviously trying their hardest to do right by themselves, and everyone else around them, but struggle desperately to understand one another. This struggle, along with the overall struggle involving the unfortunate situation that life has placed them in, is the driving force of this wonderfully beautiful slice of life drama. The acting and story were so incredible to watch that often I felt as if I were watching a documentary and not a drama, something that greatly enhanced my experience and caused me to get "sucked in" by the film. It all felt so real, from the delicate and fleeting high point of the film, to the heartbreaking lows. It's one of those rare films where you get attached to the characters but not for any superficial reasons like, "that actress is cute," or "they're so funny," but because it felt as if the characters showed all of themselves to you and you established a connection through their pain. Cinematography was also a huge take away from the film, I can actually remember four specific shots that left me quite literally with my mouth gaping at the screen. As well as two more shots that, along with what was happening in the story at those points, made me announce out loud, "wow this is so good." However, I'm so sure that those shots will have a similar effect on you when you watch it, that I'm declining to provide any description of them (i know my words would not do them justice). I loved this movie, and i unfortunately was not able to talk about every detail that made me love it, but hopefully the ones i did highlight were enough to make you want to watch it too.