Dakota Skye (2008)

Excellent adaptation.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Huge fan. I haven't read any reviews that mention the quality of the lighting and sound. They were all so well done that they put many a large-budget movie to shame. The sound quality in the live-band rock and roll scenes alone was spectacular. Also - the casting was really well done. In the DVD special features you hear the pains they took to get the casting right (auditioning 1000s). And it shows. There is not a false acting note in the entire movie.I have tiny quibbles with the turning point at the end of act 2 in the script, where the major setback gets verbalized in a Sex-in-The-City- like internal monologue that felt emotionally and intellectually off key for the main character. But its nothing that impacts the genuine affection I feel for this gem of a movie. Hollywood Producer Alert. If you are a production company trying to make really high quality movies at low budget, these guys are the real deal - proved commodities.

I watched this movie with anticipation as I was expecting a good teen romance. What I got was load of foul mouthed, pot smoking, drug taking, sleazy American movie making. I must admit I can't comment on the whole movie because after much hesitation, and hoping that it would improve, I finally decided I didn't want to waste any more of my life on this tripe.The acting I must admit was OK, but the lead role, played by Eileen April Boylan playing the part of Dakota Skye, a 16 y/o girl who has a permanent chip on her shoulder. She is smothered in make up, and uses the 'F' word frequently. I understand it is rated 'R', but to me the movie was a waste of time, money and lacked any intelligence.

There are few times as a movie watcher when you get to be there at the beginning. By the time a directors name gets tossed into the open arena of critics and fans alike, they have already created a handful of theatrical visions and you find yourself scouring Netflix or Blockbuster trying to walk backwards through their cinematic resume. Well, this is one of those few times where you can say you were there when. In a small number of years you can act snobby at parties and brag about how you saw this feature length debut years before anyone knew about the following successes. What's better than having intellectual ammo at the ready to feel superior about? Not much.Let's talk about the movie first, before we get into the behind the scenes masterminds. Dakota Skye is a superhero tale with a twist. Dakota is a young girl, only medium cute (a line from the movie, which is terribly inaccurate) and she has a secret power. No one can lie to her. Anytime someone distorts the truth around her, their real meaning and honest thoughts appear in front of her like subtitles in a foreign film. You might think this would be a great power to have, but once you start realizing how much people lie and what they really feel about you, life can seem pretty bleak. This is where Jonah comes in, a pleasant tinged stoner who seemingly never tells a lie. Meeting Jonah throws Dakota's world into a spin because there are only two answers, either her powers don't work on him or he really is the last honest person on Earth. Let the teenage confusion and angst begin! The movie is really centered around the relationship between Dakota and Jonah, which places a large amount of the success on the shoulders of Eileen Boylan (as Dakota) and Ian Nelson (as Jonah). Thankfully both step up to the task. The chemistry on screen helps the audience sink into their world, reminding us about that time when we met the first person who got underneath all our walls and social defenses. Eileen shuffles her scuffed jeans and worn-in Chucks through a performance balanced between one part slacker, one part dreamer and one part trail blazer. Top off with a dash of jaded teenager forced to grow up too fast and you have the incarnation of Dakota. Her adorable presence on screen and earnest moments really center the film and keep the audience tuned in. Coming in to lend his assistance is Ian with a humble smile, honest face and almost effortless delivery. Certain scenes for him felt so natural it could have been mistaken for improv, just letting him go and feel the moment as it happened. You can expect to see both of these young actors in the coming years, that is, if you haven't already caught Eileen in Greek and Making Change and Ian in Bratz and True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet.Now both of those performances would not have been possible if not for the delicate touch of director John Humber. This is his first feature film and I can guarantee it won't be his last to reach the silver screen. Dakota Skye has the feel and rough edges of a debut filmmaker, but there is a vision, a concept and a level of skill that cannot be denied. The whole story is visually told with delicate pacing, filled with engaging moments, leading up to a beautifully touching final scene right out of any major motion picture we see today (specifically in the romance genre, that is). If this is the beginning of a career, all I can say is I am excited to see what's coming down the line.

This was an excellent film! I just saw it at the Phoenix Film Festival. Very realistic and convincing. Her story is completely normal in every other respect besides her ability, and I connected much more with the movie because of it. Her quest felt like something a real person would go through. She's unsure of her future, unsure of her feelings, and everything is just confusing. I don't think it can get more accurate than that when describing adolescence. Some people might judge bits of the content to be inappropriate, but I feel that if it hadn't of been there, I couldn't have taken the characters and plot seriously. I really enjoy the fact the Dakota's superpower both is and is not the focus of the movie. The writers were able to make it stay far from any cheesy superpower movie clichés, which was wonderful. The ability was just a tool to allow her to discover parts of herself. I loved the film, excellent work!