9FULLMOONS

Itdoesn’tmatterifyourpersonalitiesaredifferent,solongasyoursoulsarecompatible.WhenLev(BretRoberts)andFrankie(AmySeimetz)meetatabar,theyareinstantlydrawntooneanother.Atfirst,LevresistsFrankie.Oratleastitseemslikethat’swhat’shappening.ButFrankiesoonlearnsthatLevisahyper-introvertandshebecomesevenmoredeterminedtomakehimapartofherlife.Theyknoweachotherimmediately,withoutneedingtorevealthemselvesinwords.Buttwobrokenpeopledonotnecessarilybecomewholejustbyfallinginlove.Writer/DirectorTomerAlmagor’sdebutfilmisanuncommonlovestorythatisdrivenbycomplexcharactersthatneedeachothermorethantheyrealize.Theoddsarecertainlystackedagainstthem.Frankiehasabitofadrinkingproblem,drivenbyinsecurity.Sheisagregarious,empatheticandcreativepersonbutshethinkssolittleofherselfthatsheshrugsoffanacquaintancerapeasifshehaditcoming.LevisafreespiritwholovesFrankiebutisn’tusedtoconsideringthefeelingsofanotherwithhiseverydaydecisions(i.e.gettingadrinkwithco-workersinsteadofcominghomefordinner).Theyalsodon’thaveanycheerleadersonthesidelines.Lev’ssupposedbestfrienddismissesFrankieasa“TrainWreck”andallbuttellshimtobreakupwithher.Frankiedoesn’tseemtohaveanyrealfriendsoutsideofLeveither.Sheoccupieshertimefixingupjunkthatshefindsonthesideoftheroadandthensellingit,yardsalestyle.WhenshetellsLevthatshedoesthistostaveofftheloneliness,heearnestlyrespondsthatsheshouldn’tbelonelysinceshehashim,despitethefactthatheisconstantlyatwork.Granted,hisworkisaonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunitytoproducethecomebackrecordforhipstercountrylegendCharlieKingNash(DonalLogue).Buthedoesn’tseehowmuchsheneedshimuntilanirreparabletragedyhastornthemfurtherapart.AmySeimetzwastheperfectchoicetoplayFrankie.She’sbeautiful,butshehasarelatablequalityandisn’tafraidtobetrulyvulnerable.If“ItGirl”isstillathing,itdefinitelydescribesSeimetz,whohasbeenpoppingupeverywherebothinfrontofandbehindthecamera.Despiteheryouth,shecurrentlyhas48IMDbactingcreditsincluding“TheOffHours,”“You’reNext,”TV’s“TheKilling,”LenaDunham’s“TinyFurniture”and“UpstreamColor.”Shealsowroteanddirectedherfirstfeature,“SunDon’tShine,”tomuchcriticalacclaim.Shehasshownanincredibleamountofversatilityinherrolesandshedeservestobeahouseholdname.BretRobertsisequallyathomewithhischaracter.Levisatorturedmusician,butit’snotjustafaçade.It’sprobablynotacoincidencethatLevisaJimMorrisondoppelganger(thoughRobertsdidportraytheLizardKinginanotherfilm).ThoughneitherFrankienortheaudiencecanalwaystellwhatisgoingoninhisbroodinghead,Lev’sloveforFrankiecannotbeconcealed.It’snotanythinghesays.It’sallinhiseyes.ThemanisaMumblecoredirector’sdream.“9FullMoons”isfullofcomplexcharacterizations,whichispartofwhatmakesitsospecial.Youcan’tsumupLevorFrankieinacoupleofwords.Theyarerealpeoplewhoaretryingtostaytruetothemselveswhilstattemptingtofigureouthowtonavigateastablerelationship.Thoughtheirloveispureandsimple,theirlivescertainlyarenot.Almagorhasstatedthatthescriptisbasedoffofhisreal-liferelationship.Thoughthedetailsarefictionalized,hehasmanagedtokeepallofthenuancesthatmakeuptwopeoplestrugglingtofindtheirplaceintheworld.It’sabeautifulfilmandIlookforwardtoseeingwhatelsehecando.