‘Alta Vista’ Review

Stars: Joe Clarke, Stacey Scowley, Tanika ‘Tea’ Vickers, Paul Beckman, Nancy Youngblut, Kyle Sing, Adalgiza Chermont, Pamela Marie Hobby, Nick Harstrick, Heidi Li, Derek Severson, Tyler Thirnbeck | Written and Directed by Joe Clarke

I was intrigued by Alta Vista when I heard it was a movie about a struggling screenwriter trying to make his way in Hollywood. The gritty indie movie I was expecting wasn’t exactly what I got though and Alta Vista goes in many other directions.

While it’s not quite a one man show, Joe Clarke directs, writes and plays the lead role in a movie that clearly has a David Lynch influence, even if it’s just in its strangeness. There’s no surprise when you seen Clarke’s character, Sam, wearing a Twin Peaks t-shirt. And although Alta Vista loves and embraces its weirdness, it does have plenty of good ideas. I don’t want to give away too much but there’s plenty of moments where you not supposed to know what is real and what isn’t. There’s never really a dream-like feel to things, it’s more of a craziness that you’re not quite sure what is going on but in a good way. In a way that will keep you thinking and interested in the story.

Thankfully, Joe Clarke is good in the lead role – it wouldn’t look great if he wasn’t! He absolutely looks and acts like the struggling screenwriter and is somehow both very vulnerable but kinda tough when needed. The kung-fu fight should not have worked but more on that later.

Alta Vista is surprisingly funny too and Clarke is a big reason for that. He seems very natural when delivering comedic lines. Often is this very laid back kind of comedy, little off handed remarks but also occasionally in a more visual way. I laughed, or a least giggled, much more than I expected to.

He’s not the only good performer though and the cast on the whole are really enjoyable. Tanika Vickers as his drug dealer show lots of charisma and gives interest to a character that could have been insignificant and dull. While Paul Beckman as ‘best friend’ Jake is full of energy in a role that needs it. Maybe I would have liked to have seen these characters and others get a bit more depth, know a bit more about them but its clear that the movie was always supposed to focus on Sam and his story.

Now, back to that fight scene. It is between a Sam and his mail man and is clearly influenced by kung-fu movies that I probably haven’t seen enough of and that the characters do indeed mention at the end of their fight. It is both funny and surprisingly well choreographed, I was smiling throughout it. It jumps in like it is from another movie but that is definitely the point.

Alta Vista could have been a realistic but kind of boring look at how difficult life is for new screenwriters in L.A. But instead it shows how one man deals with the loss of his father and then twists that with some oddly brilliant ideas.

Alta Vista is a delightfully twisted movie about dealing with loss and reaching your goals and it probably not working out. Film fans looking for an indie movie that tries something different should definitely check it out.