Sometimes directors making their first feature knock it out of the park. Other times it can be a miss. Rookie Jared Isaac lands somewhere in between, with a fair but not quite fulfilling project.
His first movie, which he also wrote, is “An Autumn Summer.” Starring Mark McKenna as Kevin, the film takes place in northern Michigan and is set during the summer right after his high school graduation.
Kevin is spending the summer at his parents’ lake cabin, and he’s joined by his friends Steven (Tony Horton) and Jared (Jun Yu), along with his girlfriend Cody (Lukita Maxwell). During their time there, the four friends spend their days in a lackadaisical fashion, enjoying the nearby lake and scenery. However, they also know their days are fleeting before going separate ways for college.
For better and for worse, “An Autumn Summer is about as slice of life as you can get. On the one hand, the movie is a nice snapshot, a beautiful portrait even, of youth in summer. The time after high school is one of transition, and as much as that summer can feel familiar, it can also be entirely different considering what’s next. That feeling is there for much of this picture.
At the same time, the film is, at many points, a bit too loose in its narrative. While one can appreciate a more free, unrestrained story to let the characters just exist, the lack of structure becomes a problem as time goes on. There’s simply not enough conflict or even a simple twist or turn to power this feature.
That’s not to say this movie needed to go in the completely opposite direction and be full of teen melodrama, either. Yet there’s definitely a sense that the whole situation is a bit too idyllic, and the parents a bit too understanding. Everything feels overly airy in so much of the runtime that it’s hard to be fully engaged.
It’s a shame, too, because there are really strong elements throughout the flick. The idea of the future being unwritten, despite having an idea of where you’re going after high school, is presented here in an honest way. The movie manages to capture the vibe of summer being more of a special season than its three counterparts, too.
Additionally, the film does contain a subtle, underlying tension between its two primary characters, Kevin and Cody, who are both concerned about where their relationship will go in the years ahead. When the picture digs into this, there’s a genuine emotional pull that the movie has, and it holds the audience.
Isaac, director of photography Brandon Somerhalder, and the rest of the crew, also did impressive work in giving the movie an impressive visual identity. The vibrancy of nature, the heat of summer and the relaxing power of nature are all shown well.
The intimacy and love of the main couple is also nicely captured, enhancing the relationship. Plus, there are several long takes and tracking shots that let the scenes feel lived in. It again makes for the production to be somewhat disappointing because while the scenes are beautiful, what’s going on can be a bit dry.
That’s despite a fairly committed effort from the cast. While it’s a mostly young lineup who don’t bring in a plethora of experience, they collectively do pretty good here. That’s especially true with Mkenna and Maxwell. However, they are let down in a few scenes where the script just isn’t rich enough. It needed to be a bit meatier.
“An Autumn Summer” is a fine first feature from Isaac and one can appreciate their work here. It certainly gives a person some interest in what they might do next. It’s certainly a well shot movie and does portray an important time in a person’s life well. However, while there are several good scenes, the movie as a whole does drag at times because there’s just not enough actually happening to keep one fully captivated. 2.75 out of 5.
Photo courtesy Blue Harbor Entertainment
