With its debut scheduled for Jersey City's Golden Door Film Festival, Fratello hopes to claim its spot on the indie/underground film festival circuit with its realistic and gritty story set against universal themes and a deeply personal story. Co-written by and starring Gerard Garilli, Fratello follows the story of two brothers who hope to leave town with no money and no vehicle following a life-changing hit & run accident. 

Directed by Jason King off of Garilli's story, Fratello was completely financed by Garilli and filmed in 13 days in New Jersey and is the first planned project between Garilli, Steve Mason, and Pe'er Klein. The trio met while on a TV pilot set and knew they wanted to work together. 

The film is a solid example of indie filmmaking, though its roughness around its edges would likely scare away mainstream moviegoers, fans of grassroots cinema will find much to enjoy in this microcinema effort. While the film starts off a tad slow, once Fratello gets into the meat of its story it's definitely obvious that Garilli has crafted a compelling story that will have you thinking quite a bit as the film's closing credits roll. 

In addition to Garilli's performance, Fratello benefits from an appearance by Sopranos vet Joseph R. Gannascoli and a consistency in tone among the film's ensemble cast. As one might expect from a low budget effort, tech credits are hit-and-miss throughout the film and it's pretty clear from some of effects and editing choices that budget held back the team from fully realizing the story's potential. 

There's something exciting about watching an up-and-coming cast and crew working on a grassroots production. While Fratello may not make for stellar cinema, it reveals enough potential that it'll be exciting to see what this crew comes up with next. 

© Written by Richard Propes 
The Independent Critic