23 Minutes to Sunrise

source: 23 Minutes to Sunrise

I have absolutely no other reason for choosing to watch this little film other than it sounded interesting…I love talky films where you Know something is up but you just can't figure out what, and this film pulls that off perfectly. The film starts off filling in a little back story of all the characters, how they end up being at the diner, and establishing just enough of their characters as we need to set the scene. And onto the scene, set in a pretty standard diner in American, in the early hours of the morning, almost puts me in mind of that painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, put in the present day, maybe that's where writer/director Jay Kanzler picked up his core inspiration? So that's the scene set, now the players. Working the night shift in the diner we have the chef (Eddie, a young War Vet played by Dingani Beza) and the waitress (Sheila, played Jilanne Klaus), the patrons include a middle aged couple trying to fix a struggling marriage, a young couple who are on the edge of a crime spree, and our mysterious couple, an older man, who has no regard for others (Played by Eric Roberts) and younger girl, who has a secret (Played by Nia Peeples) Now all these characters all have their own story lines through most of this film, they occasionally play off each other but they are essentially separate, and all the little stories are interesting to see play out, all the while establishing their characters. Then we have the the mysterious couple, I can't say much about them without giving the story away but it's clear from early on that there is something more than normal happening within their little story. Now this is a short film, only 1 hour and 18 minutes long, but I'm thankful for that, I really think writer/director Kanzler got the length of this movie perfect for all the different characters to develop and their stories to fill out and eventually converge in what I felt was a really powerful and intense ending. A very well written, stylish, and for the most part, well acted film, why I say "for the most part" is because there were a few scenes that I felt either the acting talent was wavering, or they were struggling with a line that could be seen by some folks as being a little bit corny. Now don't let this put you off the film, as I said, it was well acted for the most part, and having one or two cringes for the occasional corny line is worth it to see how the full story plays out. Well worth a watch by the talky fans out there.

I thought this movie was very good. I really like the characters and felt like I connected with Eddie. Some of the things that he was thinking out loud about are things that I myself have contemplated. I thought the dialog was very well written and enjoyed the witty conversations between the characters. I especially enjoyed the manic-depressive type behaviors that the young criminal displayed. I have known people who actually behave like that. Shelia's character was also very well played as she demonstrated the cycle of abuse to the viewer. I also like towns like Sauget, IL and the gritty feel that they have. Thanks for reading.

I really didn't expect much from this movie, and I probably should have trust my instinct and pass on it. I wouldn't say everything was bad in this movie, but about 96percent of it was AWFUL. "23 minutes to sunrise" is the worst horror/thriller or whatever you wanna call it I've seen in a long time. (SPOILER) The idea of making it all happen in 23 minutes could have been great if it had been treated the right way, but here, there's something really really wrong. 19 minutes in their world are 1h20 in ours and suddenly, 4 minutes runs in 2. Bulls*** . We don't care about any of the characters, we don't care about the ending, we don't care about anything. That's awful. Forget it. A movie made only for the actors to pay their taxes, and still not sure about that, is never a good flick. 1 out of 10 because 0 is not an option.

This is a movie that keeps you frightening from the start to the end! Rarely there has been a movie with such a good dark and chilling atmosphere. I even see this movie more as an horror movie than as a thriller because of that. 23 Minutes is unique in many ways. The movies mood is already set right from the beginning on. The movie starts dark, intense, chilling and mysterious, a mood that is present throughout the entire movie. It's very depressing to watch and I mean that in a positive way of the meaning of the word. The mood is set by good camera work and lighting, or better said, the lack of it.

This film is a character driven mystery. There are four couples in a late night restaurant, all have life issues. Ted (Bob Zany) is a mousey husband who complains he doesn't have a life. His wife Rachel (Nia Peeples) would rather text someone than have a conversation with him. Donald (Tom Sandoval) is a punk criminal killer/robber with serious anger management issues. He can't handle life. Grace (Kristen Doute) is his co-dependent girlfriend. Shelia (Jilanne Klaus) is a 30 year old waitress with an abusive boyfriend. She likes Eddie (Dingani Beza) the cook at the Sunrise Diner who is a war veteran searching for a life. The mystery couple is the ever unlikeable Eric Roberts as Daniel and the young Hannah (Haley Busch). Their conversation is shrouded in mystery and is the pivotal point of the movie. Eddie supplies some first person narration in order to develop some simple philosophy and theme to this production. He is "searching for God" and now believes life is "just one big lottery." The interactions of these four couples within the confines of a diner is the bulk of the film. If you need action, heavy plot, or an explanation of events, then I suggest you look elsewhere. This is an indie style film that allows the viewer to make their own conclusions. The film is clever at times and slow at others. It was good enough to draw me in. Parental Guide: F-bombs. No nudity. Off screen implied sex.

I liked this a lot in the beginning. The acting is well enough, and the whole storyline though it seems like its happened a million times before, is written in an interesting way. The film grabs you in much the same way "Drive" did with a stand-out track playing over the opening credits as the characters are introduced and Eric Roberts watches like death over a burning car covered in bluish fire, a hue used well throughout the movie. Things are still interesting in the diner, but it does slow down, and the actor who played Eddie -- his performance isn't too believable. Things heat up toward the end of the second act and tough decisions are made. I didn't quite get the message. I didn't whether I should be happy for one of the characters or feel let down. Still -- if you're interested in these types of movies or maybe you're a filmmaker who needs to see how to and how not to keep something interesting when you have only one location -- maybe you wanna see this.

The movie starts off with a lot of kick, but it slows down when everyone gets to the Sunrise Diner. Naturally, it's important and I imagine very difficult to keep it interesting with pretty much one location, and acting and dialogue, especially Eric Roberts (Bob Zany is also fun to watch as a terribly insecure husband) keep you tuned in. There are some flashbacks thrown in of Eddie the fry cook's war time in the Middle East, and Sheila, the waitress, gets into a scuffle with her husband who stops by to leech money from her. Add a troubled couple robbing people -- it is all adds up to people getting desperate and perhaps willing to make a decision / deal that seems great at first but will yield tiresome sorrow in due, due time. The most troubled but trying-to-tough-it-out, and the one we've come to care about the most (or second most at least) is the one who gets placed in the middle. And so important decisions are forced to be made. Decent little film. 6 out of 10.

The writing was elementary, at best. It was extremely hard sitting through the whole mess. Hope whoever wrote this will consider another occupation. I feel for the actors that had to get through this. The plot seemed to go in one direction and then just ended. We read the reviews and hoped to have an enjoyable evening, but less than half way through, we could hardly sit through the remainder. We did stay, hoping that it would get better and end with something that would bind it all together, but it only got worse. I do have to say that although the actors somewhat tried, it all fell short of all of the hype that I had read. I've seen low budget films that had a decent plot, but this just was not one of them.

Clocking in at a brief 78 minutes, 23 Minutes to Sunrise is hard to classify in terms of specific genre. It contains elements of drama, suspense, horror, and even war, as it tells the tale of the two employees and six customers of the Sunrise Diner. Although it is Eddie that is the main protagonist in the film, it is through Sheila, the diner's waitress, that we see the main interactions of the film. The moments shared between she and Eddie prove to be the strongest in the movie. Recently returned from his second tour of Iraq and Afghanistan, Eddie is trying to piece his life together and find out what direction he wants it to take. Sheila and Eddie bond over their many late nights working together at the diner, and a deep friendship develops. But when a familiar face from his days at war shows up to the diner, all hell will break loose. 23 Minutes to Sunrise is a very engaging and interesting film that is allows for the viewer to think deeply about the past, the future, and their own view on eternal life. Adding to that is the interesting cinematography of the piece and excellent performances. Each of the actors, with perhaps a couple exceptions, brings great depth to their characters, even with a small amount of screen time. This all makes the film sound very serious, but in fact, it is also very entertaining. Eric Robert's performance as Daniel is incredibly fun to watch. But it is Jilanne Klaus' Sheila that is the driving force of the film. She is the one figure that connects all of the characters together, allowing for both intense and intimate moments to be shared on screen. If you are in the mood for a thriller that is a bit deeper than the usual heist film, 23 Minutes to Sunrise is one that you will want to check out. Both enjoyable and thought-provoking, it is one to look out for.