Footprints (2011)

Just perfect...

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A unique, almost unclassifiable mixture of ghost story and poetic mood piece, writer/director Steven Peros's FOOTPRINTS opens on a dazed young woman (Sybil Temtchine) who comes to her senses in the forecourt of the Chinese Theater, then follows her as she wanders up and down the boulevard trying to piece together who she is, how she got there and what her future might be. Besides the Chinese, the film touches on many familiar landmarks (to Angelenos, at least) of the real, geographical Hollywood: the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood Book & Poster Company, the Scientology Center, tour guides and street performers. In that sense FOOTPRINTS is very much a movie about the actual Hollywood, a gaudy and more than slightly seedy neighborhood where people live and work. Peros shows a real knowledge and affection for the neighborhood: you can almost smell the exhaust coming off the boulevard and hear the sounds of people jostling and hawking up and down the street. On a deeper level, though, FOOTPRINTS is about the Myth of Hollywood, the dreams and delusions that young hopefuls bring there. Dreams that sustain them through years of rejection and disappointment, and dreams that in the end can break them. In an extremely savvy bit of casting, Peros draws on two Hollywood survivors -- actor H.M. Wynant (a familiar face to fans of classic 1950's and 1960's TV from appearances in "The Wild Wild West," "Playhouse 90," "Perry Mason" and many others) and actress Pippa Scott (THE SEARCHERS, AUNTIE MAME, "The Virginian") -- to play key roles in the story. Wynant and Scott both lend a quiet grace and rueful charm to their parts, and when they talk about Hollywood you get the sense it comes from a lifetime of hard experience. It's not too much of a stretch to compare the film to THE WIZARD OF OZ, with Temtchine's lost, amnesiac lead character standing in for Dorothy as she wakes up in a strange wonderland filled with sometimes helpful, sometimes sinister characters, and trying desperately to find her way "home," wherever that may be. FOOTPRINTS is also a ghost story of sorts (although definitely not a horror film) -- and especially in an indie film world too often filled with overly literal, kitchen-sink dramas, it's really refreshing to see an independent film that's as poetic and haunting as this one is.

I managed to catch a sneak preview of Footprints at the Egyptian and I was really touched by it. Writer-Director Steven Peros takes you on a magical, mystery tour up and down the famed boulevard that reaches into Hollywood's past and reaches out to Hollywood's future. Sybil Temtchine shines in the lead role, hitting all the right notes as you follow her journey. And John Brickner--as the flunky tour guide who tries to help out--shows why his is a name to remember. It's the kind of movie that seems to have a little something for everyone, just like the industry to which it pays homage. It's got wit, it's got charm, and it leaves you thinking. One of those movies you'll want to see again once you know how it ends. But next time I'll bring a date!

It's something special when a film stays with you for awhile. I caught a screening of "Footprints" with my friends at the Denver Fest last year. We still talk about this finely-crafted indie when we get together. It resonates.All of us were smitten by its charm and admired the film-making. From the very opening sequence we were hooked and intrigued by its mystery.We were particularly impressed with the lead's graceful and honest performance. We rooted for her during her journey every step of the way! A beautiful film. A must see.

Footprints is a gorgeous, elegant film that looks at Hollywood from a very different perspective. Steve Peros has created a magical world that is a love letter to the city of dreams. Not to be missed for anyone who loves films. The atmosphere of the movie is mysterious, charming and full of surprises. A mix of drama and heart, the actors bring to life an eclectic and wonderful mix of characters that take us on a journey over the period of one day. From the magical opening to the charming end Peros has a beautiful tone that draws you in and makes you want to know what happens next. Christopher Caliendo's score compliments the film with subtle gorgeous cues that work with the film and don't overpower it.