Coming out on home video on August 21st, FilmWorks Entertainment's Up & Down is an entertaining feel-good comedy starring Tod Huntington as a struggling actor named Will who works manning the elevators at a luxury hotel to pay the bills. While dealing with the usual partygoers, oddballs, drunken management and sorts, he runs into Alex (Julin Jean), a beautiful woman with a doctor boyfriend. Soon, however, it's clear that this doctor isn't all he seems to be and Will sets out to win Alex's heart and, maybe, just start living life outside the elevator walls.

Filmed for just over six figures in Houston, Texas, Up & Down experienced quite a bit of festival success before being picked up by the folks at FilmWorks Entertainment for its home video release. The film picked up awards at Los Angeles Cinema Festival, IndieFest, Accolade Competition, JamFest Independent Film Festival, Texandance and others.

Up & Down is an entertaining feel-good comedy featuring solid performances from both Tod Huntington and Julin Jean in the co-leading roles, while the film is also gifted with an ensemble cast that is better than one might expect from a relatively low budget indie flicks. Johnette Duff's sreenplay is both funny and intelligent, while the camera work of director Jonathan Carbonaro and M.J. Marcinik is straightforward yet effective.

While Up & Down isn't necessarily a mind-blowing film, it's a solid indie effort that makes you hungry to see what Carbonaro has going on in the future. It's not surprising to see that the film had success on the indie film fest circuit, a circuit that can too often be weighted down with agenda-driven dramas over good ole' fashioned romantic comedies.

If you get the chance, check out Up & Down.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic