David M. Patteson

The bebop jazz underscores the story seamlessly. I'm only on episode two but am already hooked. The fly on the wall cinemetography (jerky handheld, quick zooms, fractured images) provides a gritty, realistic, and heartfelt account of the personal lives and struggles of the owners and musicians. A merging of various art forms: really good Jazz, superb acting (esp. from the character of Julie--the scenes with her father are priceless), cinematography that reminds me of Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabrieski Point, and minimalist writing that cuts to the bone. It's a show I think about when I should be doing other things, like making a living.

Great lighting, believable characters, villainous villain

Told with cinematic style and literary compassion. The close-ups, lack of make-up, double exposures, and intrusive soundtrack brings the viewer inside this girl's world. So few are able to portray youth for the bundle of insecurities and neuroses they truly are. Eighth grade does it poignantly! A masterful achievement of cinematic story-telling! Bravo!