Title: Becks
MPAA Rating: TV-14
Director: Daniel Powell, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh
Starring: Lena Hall, Mena Suvari, Hayley Kiyoko
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins

What It Is: Becks (Hall) has just been told by her girlfriend Lucy (Kiyoko) that Lucy will be moving to L.A. to pursue a dream. Becks follows her out there only to find that Lucy has moved on…to someone younger. Becks moves back home to St. Louis with her former nun of a mother. It is back at home playing at a bar owned by her high school friend Dave (Dan Fogler). It is here she meets the married Elyse (Suvari) who seems to be in a very different place from Becks.

What We Think: Lena Hall is really REALLY good as the titular character. She runs the gamut of emotions from vulnerable to caring from strong to unloved. There’s a real sense of kinship between the audience and Becks. We want so badly for her to come out of the other side okay. For a time that is. By the denouement, my opinions on this kind of change. It’s a wonderful character study on life, living and what it means to be devoured by your dreams. Becks so clearly wants to succeed with music that all other goals are put aside. It makes one wonder if that’s not the catalyst for her disastrous relationships. Why she makes bad decision after bad decision.

Our Grade: A-, A major surprise and a film that I had no preconception about going in. I think that helped enormously. Not knowing exactly what I was getting. What I got is a story and a central character whose arc is both interesting and well-written. Looking back the music is also a huge draw and all of the songs are fantastic and integrated well into the narrative. They tell Becks’ story. A big recommend here.