Ralph Sepe jr, aka ralphthemoviemaker, is a prolific and unique youtuber known for making movie reviews alongside his own personal film projects. The amount of dedication he has towards his passion is beyond admirable, so much so that one would only wonder if he ever made his own full length feature, which he has. Initially funded through kickstarter in 2015 and made between that year and 2017, Lover is quite possibly the most ambitious project Ralph has ever made. As of now, it has gained a decent reputation online, and I can definitely see why after watching it.
The film focuses on a young man named Howard, who meets a beautiful young woman named Christina (Delilah as an alternative). They bond well throughout a whole year, but they eventually realize that their relationship is built on dishonesty. With that said, it's obvious that this film is a character study, and it plays on that angle in a rather creepy manner. The black & white cinematography works well within the disturbingly unpredictable tone. In addition, the usage of social media is shown as a series of motifs. This symbolizes how much personal connection is at a distance these days. That plays a key role in what goes on during the character's lives, and the suspense never fails to keep one at the edge of their seat. In general, every character's cold deceit appropriately paints the film with the right amount of tension and fear needed for a flick like this.
What's interesting to note is that Ralph and crew shot the movie over the span of an actual year, fitting with the film's main period. It genuinely feels like time has passed, and any given change that occurs to the characters or setting really looks accurate to our world. The long span keeps us guessing what is happening to the likes of Howard and Christina, as their own lives come off as properly vague to keep the mystery up. The music by Elias Ortega is another nice bonus, as it relies more on chilling atmosphere than shock value. Also, the acting varies depending on each character, but everyone did their best. Whether it'd be charming and subtly charismatic like Ralph as Howard or Victoria Beaudoin as Christina, or scarily subdued like Davinder Singh as Kyle, Carmeron Hallinan as Raymond and Ardit Bufaj as Ardit. Even though everyone worked for free, their hard work really payed off.
If I do have any complaints with the film though, it's that I personally found it to be too slow much of the time. I get that's the point, but often the film can become too sluggish for its own good and it would have been nice to pace things a little quicker, though not too much. Also, the moments of dark layers around certain shots can be hit or miss, as some come off as too blurry to be interpreted by the eyes. However, presentation is not as important as sound, and the mixing does have its fair share of flaws. The audio can sound too quiet and muffled to understand what the characters are saying half of the time and even most of the sound effects don't come off as effective as they should have (except for the fight scenes).
However, regardless of its issues, I am still very proud for Ralph that he got this pet of his finished. Everyone has said it's easier to make films nowadays than before, and Lover is a pure example of taking that knowledge to a pretty high degree. Sure, the film does feel more like an above average film school project, but as long as the heart is there, then the end product will come out fine either way. If you're a fan of Ralph's content or student films, then definitely give this one a look. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a nice starting point for even grander things to come in the young filmmaker's future.
