Lover (I) (2018) User Reviews

A very important milestone for Ralph

[AdrenalinDragon · 5/10 · 19 December 2018]

I've been following Ralph Sepe Jr. (Ralphthemoviemaker) for a while now. He announced his first feature length movie Lover a few years ago, and it would only be a matter of time before it would be completed. The good news is it shows Ralph has potential, and despite still not calling it a good movie, it's an important milestone in showing him improve his craftsmanship. For example, this has the most impressive cinematography shots I've seen from Ralph and the acting for the most part is pretty solid (especially from Victoria Beaudoin) compared to his previous works King Candy and The High. The soundtrack in particular is really effective and carries the emotions that are required to understand each character.

Some of my gripes I have with the movie though are that the audio can be a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it was difficult to hear conversations even when I maxed the volume up. Looking back, there were scenes where I'm not sure really made any sense and it felt the movie was being padded out for the sake of hitting the feature length runtime. There were many shots that made me think "What was the purpose of that shot?" and vice versa. The acting as mentioned before is still a little shaky in places. I want to tell Ralph now that he doesn't always have to be in his own movies as the lead. Maybe focusing strictly as both a director and writer would actually boost the quality of his future movies. Yes, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece from him, and yes I am aware Ralph had a very small budget making the entire thing, so shooting it in black and white was actually a great choice rather than colour in this case I think.

Overall, Ralph should be proud of himself making this movie. This is the closest I've seen quality wise that actually matches what I expect from a proper movie. His previous works felt very student-filmy and amateur in comparison, but with the increased budget it really impressed me on the first watch. My final rating for Lover is a 5/10, and that is me judging it as a proper movie not a student film.

It was okay

[cinemaniacproductions · 6/10 · 17 December 2018]

This movie had a lot of good things in it, but also had a lot of bad.

I will first talk about the pros

PROS I felt the female lead was amazing The cinematography for about 90% of the film was great The audio design besides the first phone call scene was very good The music really helped make each scene more and more powerful The second half was very good even if the ending was a little rushed, but for the most part was thrilling

CONS The acting from Ralph at the beginning was not very good The first half of the film before we are introduced to Raymond was very slow and boring The cinematography for 10% of the film was not very good, there were dialogue scenes with so much empty space towards the other side of the shot, it made it feel like someone was going to walk in the shot, but nothing happened. I didn't fully get as engaged with the characters as I was with King Candy The black and white is really overused in these films and I feel on some shots I can't see anything unless I turn my brightness up all the way on my computer. The dialogue sometimes felt very cartoonish

Overall the movie had a lot of good and a lot of bad, but I hope Ralph sees this review and improves because I truly believe he is an amazing filmmaker with a bright future. I think maybe his next film needs to be a bit more lighthearted and not be about a guy who goes crazy and starts hurting and killing people. I also think he'd be best served as a supporting character than a lead so he can spend more time on the script and the camera work. Overall a decent start, but at times, I expected more.

It's not a disaster

[higginskill · 6/10 · 11 January 2019]

Ralph Sepe made a decent film that shows his capabilities as a growing director. At the end of the day it wasn't perfect, but as a fan of his work I dont regret purchasing it.

A Good Start Into Arthouse

[Mighty-Morphin · 5/10 · 28 May 2019]

Ralph Sepe Jr. is know for his hyper edited video essays and crime centered shorts, but in this quiet, slow paced thriller focused on a killer out for unrelenting love, we see a new side to the young director. Sepe is now setting his sights towards a mind trip into the dark decaying thoughts of someone with an end pursuit not truly know to the audience. The end goal we can only conjure up towards the finale: revenge. We only get little blips of relatability that can be seen in the meandering, yet original, love dynamic that takes center stage alongside the mental distress caused by Howard's (Ralph Sepe Jr) selfish actions. The lackluster dialogue and performances sprinkled in the picture has the serious tone conveyed by Sepe be boggled down into it's simplest form. It's quit a shame for the film itself, yet a promise for more from a starting director.

Five out of ten.

Far from perfect, but still very effective

[youtalkingtome1994 · 7/10 · 16 December 2018]

As a fan of horror I totally dug what this film was doing, and although it isn't perfect, it has lots of merit. I found it to be a deeply disturbing character study. The films black and white aesthetic I think is supposed to pay homage to those romanticized films of the past while putting a modern day twist on it. Phones, the internet and social media are prominent motifs in the film, which I think are meant to signify the distancing of personal connection we have today, especially in our relationships. The characters are all cold, and dishonest, and I think that is intentional. It's a slow burn and doesn't hold your hand which is why I admire it. Other youtubers who make films understand little about filmmaking and end up making dumb comedies. Ralph was attempting something so much more interesting and out of his, and his audiences, comfort zone knowing that many people wouldn't like it. Victoria Beaudoin's performance is fantastic. I like how the relationships she shares with the different men in her life is left vague enough to keep you guessing. I also enjoyed Cameron Hallinan and Davinder Singh although their performances are more downplayed. The score by Elias Ortega is great as well, clearly inspired by the works of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It doesn't rely on jump scares or bad stock sounds to built tension or shock. There is a cut in this film toward the end of Winter that was so effective it made me physically jolt back in my chair. There was also an "action scene" that was really well done! I had issues with many technical aspects such as the sound mixing and some cinematography but overall I think it is a suspenseful and restrained film that demonstrates great potential.

Impressive for a college movie.

[Ethan-The-Cineman · 5/10 · 26 August 2022]

For a film student with not much experience and film student actors and a budget of 10 grand, this was pretty good, but as a movie, it could've been better. It is very Drive, in the way it's paced, acting and shot and doesn't seem to put that much of an original spin on it. All the performances are good, specifically Ralph and Victory, there are some cool shots but the cinematography is not great all around, the black and white colour pallet i am not a fan of, i think it makes it look a lot like a "student film" and not something professional (i am aware it is a student film i just think he could've worked with a colourist to make the film look more professional) the plot is engaging enough but nothing that will stick with you and the pacing is alright I was never bored but it's nothing special. And the score was simple but effective. The main gripes I had was the sound design but I think Ralph mentioned on Sardonicast that that was an issue he had as well and it's difficult to get right, and the film was a very underdeveloped I think it should've been around 20 minutes longer so I could get more invested in the characters. I did also have some small issues that don't matter but it bugged me a bit, Howard spikes a drink but doesn't crush up the roofie, there is this scene where Howard gets beat up and it looked a little bit fake to me, there is a scene where Howard picks up a girl and says he's gonna bring her to a club and never brings her there he just brings her to his place and she doesn't question it at all, but these are minor issues and for a film student film and a director that doesn't have much experience, I kind of enjoyed this on my part and thought it was decently made.

I could nitpick this to death but I just don't really want to. I can see some people not liking it but I kind of enjoyed it on my part.

A Remarkable Window into Growing Potential

[joshualee-53028 · 7/10 · 7 January 2019]

Lover (2018) was my most anticipated films of this year, and, sufficed to say, I was not disappointed in the slightest. It should be important, however, was I expecting this to be a great film. And I wasn't wrong in that expectation either.

Lover is a very interesting dive into the dramatic scene between two lovers who aren't being completely honest with each other, and while it's not conveyed outstandingly with the acting, it's stylistic approach throughout the film is more than enough to make up for that. For a guy who was just out of high school, I was genuinely impressed with the writing and scene composition, which kept me enthralled though the entire experience.

That said, there were a couple of glaring issues that I could not look past.

Acting wise, I got about what I expected from a group of actors where most were just out of high school. That is to say that I wasn't expecting much. While I thought that Victoria Beaudoin's performance was interesting and showed signs of potential, the same could not initially be said for Ralph and a few other actors. Although it would improve in future shorts like "King Candy" and "Sauce", this is a point where it kind of works in some places, and in others it doesn't, although this did not hamper my overall enjoyment of the film. Like I said, I don't expect Oscar worthy performances from then High School Actors.

Sound Mixing was a bit of an issue in a couple of scenes, in which I would have to rewind and turn up my speaker's volume just to even hear what was happening, and sometimes I'd have to turn it down a bit, but nothing to major on that front.

Is this movie great? Not really. But it's important to know that this is a sign of what is to come for Ralph Sepe Jr. as a director and film maker. As far as all of his productions go, from Brother's Paradise, to the aforementioned King Candy and Sauce, to even as far back as The High, there's a continuous sign of improvement with each endeavor. And Lover is another one of those stepping stones to an untapped potential that Ralph is slowly but surely reaching. And that's what makes this movie so special to me.

I think that anyone who is an aspiring film maker, writer, or director (Like Myself), should come around to checking out this and all of Ralph Sepe's work. It is the ultimate example of the following truth: If this guy, on a shoe string budget compared to Hollywood standards, can make a movie this interesting and engaging, purely from a place of passion and creativity, then why can't you?

Ralphthemoviemaker's Feature Length Debut

[elicopperman · 6/10 · 4 January 2019]

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.

Not Too Shabby Mr. Sepe

[TheBigDaddySlim · 8/10 · 30 January 2019]

For a low budget film done by a film student, this is a pretty good movie. I found the cinematography to be very well done, I enjoyed nearly every shots framing, angles, and lighting. I really enjoyed the pacing and the tone of the film as well. The movie being released in black and white was a very nice touch and adds to the noire style Ralph was going for. I've read some people saying that the film was confusing or possibly pretentious, but I find it to be neither of those things.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not a perfect film, and even Ralph himself has said this. There are a couple of scenes where the two main characters are talking and the ADR is clearly noticeable. When the characters in the film are smoking cigarettes, it's very noticeable that they are only pulling the smoke into their mouths, but I can easily forgive that due to the fact that they are disgusting to anyone who isn't a regular smoker, which I can say from experience as a previous smoker. Another small gripe is nothing is ever said about how the main character is able to afford his nice apartment in the city and a Mercedes, but none of these issues took me out of the movie.

Overall this is a fantastic film done by someone of Ralph's age, and I honestly cannot wait for more work from him.

Decent

[rrlockhead · 6/10 · 29 December 2018]

All though I am a big fan of Ralph, I want to come in and be as unbiased as possible and I gotta say, I'm a little bit disappointed. It's an interesting story with decent (for the most part) acting and pretty good writing. Some of the actors weren't that good, including Ralph. Although I like Ralph's video, I can't say he's the best actor. He's not bad at all, but he just wasn't the right person for this role. It seems like he would be better behind the camera instead of in front of it. Also I wasn't really enjoying the first 20 to 25 minutes of the movie. I found it rather boring. Although being somewhat disappointing, it's still a decent watch.

Good and interesting film

[domeniclabondano · 7/10 · 20 May 2020]

I don't want to spoil anything from Ralph's film. I'm a big fan of his but i tried to go into viewing this unbiased.

The beginning of the film starts off rather slow. Ralph's acting and delivery is alright, but improves much more as the film goes on. Same as the supporting cast.

It was worth the watch. I'm excited to see what else Ralph has in store with future projects of his.

Demonstrates a strong understanding of most film elements.

[parrot007 · 7/10 · 9 August 2020]

Ralph Sepe's independent and low budget film shows that he does indeed have all the skills necasary to go further into the film industry. For someone many people know as the goofy guy on YouTube who reviews bad movies, he's setting expectations higher with his own projects for people who have seen his videos. "Hur hur, well if that movie is so bad why don't you make one loser."

Put that aside and you'll see that Lover does indeed show a strong understanding of film ideas, especially visuals. Airel establishing shots are used nicely, close ups bring the audience in touch with akward conversations, and editing is also good most of the time. I do like the black and white choice too, It cuts out distractiions and makes some scenes such as those with snow looks even better.

I think this movie's weakness still is the writing and the acctual conversations between characters that otherwise have enough depth to keep you invested. I do see and appreciate the subtley that was attempted here, however I feel too much of the relationship between Delilah/Christina and Howard happened off screen. They don't talk to each other enough. Nailing this would have made this a legitimately impressive independent film, even if many things about it aren't exactly original. I didn't find myself particularly invested in this relationship which made later events less impactful.

For something of this scale for only a dollar on Amazon, I would say Lover is worth a shot for those who enjoy visual elements of film with some time to spare. It does enough well to be taken seriously.

Yes

[UV-Yuvraj-Singh · 7/10 · 5 July 2019]

I liked the cinematography, for the most part. I liked Christina. I liked Ralph.

Thrilling

[pierobird · 9/10 · 14 December 2018]

The film is very theme oriented. Everything is dark, film is black and white, music builds up tension and the plot spirals downwards. It's so engaging and interesting with all the quirks it has and the pacing was spot on.

The only real problem I have with the film is some of the acting, but it's downplayed a lot by the excellent music and writing.

Watched it twice and I'm excited to watch it again.

Likable

[TheMovieEnjoyer · 6/10 · 28 October 2019]

A competent feature length film by Ralphthemoviemaker that clearly shows his potential as a director and some writing talent. The acting was good for the most part, the cinematography was visually captivating, and the score was appropriate for the tone he was going for. The issues I have with the film were mostly technical elements that I can look past since it is a student film I guess. Overall, a really solid film for a youtuber and I hope I can see more films made by Ralph.

Satisfying Horror Film

[alexisfrancis-78164 · 7/10 · 2 June 2020]

Enjoyable acting, and good build of suspense. I was impressed by the cinematography. The leads were great, and the score was very satisfying. The pacing was slow, and while I enjoyed the ambiguity, the script could have been more filled out, in my opinion. Very successful film on a $10,000 budget! It didn't feel like a amateur movie, and I could tell it was reaching to be a complicated character study. It did do that in some beats, very well, it just didn't hold my attention throughout. I enjoyed his style, and I highly recommend it.

Great film with minor issues

[thisisspartacus-51825 · 7/10 · 19 June 2019]

Lover was well shot, written, and had a great score. Also the leading role of Howard was wonderfully portrayed by Ralph sepe Jr. However I wish it would take more time on certain scenes and give the trio of guys (you'd know if you've seen the movie) a bit more character development. Overall a very entertaining thriller.

Not what I expected, because i've never seen anything like it.

[pontuslardner · 8/10 · 15 December 2018]

When i first started watching this movie i expected a drama between two lovers with fights, tears and and lots of emotions. And while I did get that, it was not in the way i was expecting.

Lover is a movie about Howard, a man who stalks a girl called Delilah, who grows more and more attached to Delilah until they both do things they regret. It is a very slow movie and not very much happens, and the first 30 minutes or so are mostly there just to set the tone and barley any words are spoken. But does it work?

Yes, absolutely.

This is not a type of movie i've seen before, and it's not just because it's black and white. The camera angels, the lights and the music are doing an amazing job at setting the creepy tone for the movie. The acting is not spectacular, but still very good. It feels like almost every single move and expression from the characters tells a story. I never expected such a slow and silent movie to make me feel sp many emotions.

So why 8 stars?

First off: it feels very original. Not in the storyline, but rather how the story is showed. If i wanted to watch a movie like this again, this is the one i would want to watch because there are no other movies like this.

Secondly,: While the first part of the movie is pretty slow and almost boring, it was necessary to set the tone. In the end, it was completely worth it.

Lastly: The story and script was great and amazingly written, but i think the low budget made it very difficult to execute it in the best way possible. It was also a little bit to slow for my personal taste.

So do i recommend this movie? Yes and yes. Do i expect everyone to enjoy it? No. This is not a movie for everyone, but i think most people can at least appreciate what Ralph Sepe has made.

Was the movie that bad though?

[brycetulloch-13604 · 7/10 · 16 September 2020]

I liked this movie. The acting was decent, the cinematography is decent, the script was cheesy but decent... I don't know why people hated this?

Charles Stiles mystery diners

[squareforce · 10/10 · 8 March 2019]

This is a very thought provoking piece. Now excuse me while I change my legal name to Alvin Flang

Not perfect, but very enjoyable

[nonbinaryplatypus · 8/10 · 5 January 2019]

I've been a fan of Ralph's for a long time. I've followed his work on his Youtube channel and King Candy is one of my favorite films ever. This film was enjoyable, and there while there were a lot of things I expected with the low budget, it took me by surprise in a lot of the right ways.

The acting wasn't great, but it was far better than in King Candy. However, I was nowhere near as engaged or in love with the characters than I was in KC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the cinematography. The drone shots felt a little overused at some points, but also very entertaining (the shot following the car was surprisingly well done.)

There's a list of things I could say about this movie, but I'll leave you with this. It shows that Ralph has potential as a director. The low budget hindered the project in almost every way, and I respect him for overcoming that. However, I didn't think this film was perfect. I didn't think it was close to perfect. But I thought that, considering everything, it was enjoyable to me as an audience member.

Stylized And great cinematography but...

[sethromangreenley · 10/10 · 14 August 2019]

Over all Ralph Sepe's movie Lover is a good experience of watching.But there are some over arching flaws. Like some of the writing is amateur and pull it poorly written, and some of the acting is amateur as well. Don't get me wrong some of the writing is very well, like when Delilah calls Howard ( phone call scene from the movie the trailer) is excellent .