Good Vibes (2011)

Good Vibes Overall Score: 90 | 100

The United Film Festivals Chicago Feedback Form

This form is used by members of our programming committee as a guideline for selecting our festival lineup. Each category is scored on a scale of 1-10 which is tallied and converted to get an overall raw score. This is a guideline and does not necessarily correspond to the A, B, C, D and F grading you might be familiar with.

Production Value: 9

Evaluate the technical quality of the piece, including sound, lighting, and camera. The image quality is great and the lighting is wonderfully varied and naturalistic. The sound was clean and well mixed, particularly between the two competing music tracks.

Acting: 9

Evaluate the casting and acting choices. The male actor was perfect as the somewhat uptight writer and the female actor played a great eccentric neighbor. They really work well together, especially during the final scene.

Writing: 9

Evaluate the originality of the work as well as the pacing, narrative structure, and dialogue. It was not the most original story-line in the world, but the writer approached it with a newfound twist that made it seem very fresh and well-done. The pacing was perfect, and structurally the story works really well with the introduction at the beginning and the unexpected resolution. The dialogue was sparse but each line seemed to make an impact.

Cinematography/Editing: 9

Evaluate the technical quality and creative use of cinematography and editing. The cinematography perfectly describes the uptight nature of the man and humorously captures his fall down the stairs and their budding friendship at the end. The editing was paced well and left me wanting to watch past the end credits.

Design: 9

Evaluate the creativity in art direction and production design, including the use of sound and music, costuming, props, and set design. Each room is designed with distinct personalities and the inviting atmosphere of real homes. The sound was mixed perfectly and the two songs chosen were great for the style of the film.

Additional Comments:

This is a conflict to which everyone can relate and the struggle between these two characters is a lot of fun to watch. It!s filmed nicely with clear dramatic intent, and cut with energy and a strong sense of rhythm. It!s impressive what is accomplished visually. The costume choices suited the characters, especially on the lead actor. Props, like the martini glass at the end fit nicely with the style and tone of the film. Both characters are sketched somewhat loosely as we don!t exactly get to know them specifically, but the way they!re filmed tells us all we need to know about them to make the humor work.
The mixing of the sound, particularly the music is superb and adds to the comedy. The song selections match the mood and energy of their respective characters and enhance their face-to-face confrontations.