People with Issues (2018)
Stars: Dano Colón, Tanner Kalina, Adam Mengesha
Runtime: 96 minutes
Synopsis: Three artist friends - a cartoonist re-assessing his life after a near-death experience, a guitarist overwhelmed by his girlfriend's personal baggage, and a bassist emerging from a long-term relationship - reconcile their artistic ambitions with their own personal demons.
Verdict: A passion project of writer/director Dan Siegelstein, "People with Issues" is a romantic comedy inspired by the works of Woody Allen and Richard Linklater, but that strongly reminded me of Kevin Smith's early projects, specifically "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy", at times even feeling like the younger sibling of those two movies.
Despite the limitations set by its small budget, Dan Siegelstein shines in bringing heart, charm, and delight through his very dialogue-centric script that was given life through the chemistry between the charismatic main performances by Dano Colón, Adam Mengesha, and Tanner Kalina, who you might recognize from one of my favorite movies to come out in 2016: Linklater's "Everybody Wants Some!!".
"People with Issues" serves also as an efficient reminder that passion can overcome any obstacle, and that, much like the film's tagline states, "success is a journey, not a destination". It's always a pleasure and an inspiration to watch films that are the fruit of a genuine love of the characters and material created.
To each and everyone involved in the making of "People with Issues", and in particular Dan, I wish you all the success in the world. Filmmaking is indeed a journey, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you.
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