Carving a Life (2017) Online

Romantic movies always generate a lot of emotions and memories from past in the audience. This movie is also same. A very good combination of love,touches, despair, destruction and bondage of human life. The story starts with the relationship of a young couple as they desperately loves each other. They were flying through their mind with lot of emotions exhibited everywhere in the park, road, home courtyard,hotel, beaches etc. Their life and affair was going perfectly with no obstacles.

But soon the cloud appeared as the actor became addicted with alcohol. He discovered some facts about his past and that drives him into frustration. He is separated from the girl and liqour became his girlfriend.But soon he has to choose one between alcohol and his beloved girlfriend. You have to wait until the climax to see the result.

The chemistry between them is awesome. They have acted like a good couple of young age..explosive with their actions and attractions..nice to see such romances..The overall sequence of the movie is also very clear, so the audience will have to sit and enjoy.

Some portion of the movie creates some sort of complaints. Like the director tried to make it a combination of mystery and romance but that never really helped the course of it.

But overall a good romantic drama....

Heartfelt film pulls the viewer in immediately with alluring visuals, likable leads with good on screen chemistry, a strong soundtrack and a feel for how relationships begin, develop and evolve over time. It shows how addiction issues can creep up on a couple and are often not quickly or easily resolved. It somehow pulls off the neat trick of being tightly constructed despite unfolding over several years. The middle section showing the husband's frequent drunken episodes is a bit repetitive, but this is an issue that dogs most movies about addiction. Overall it is a moving story of a loving couple grapping with a serious problem. The two leads are quite good. You will find yourself rooting for them.

The approach of some serious issues was brave. Be it alcoholism, unforgiveness, grief, etc. We all deal with them many ways. This story shows the many ways one can go and the consequences of those decisions. Someone needs to ses and know this message. Bravo for tackling such a subject!

This true to life drama handles the subject of alcoholism bravely and with sensitivity. Bolstered by great cinematography and sharp editing, this extremely well written and expertly directed film makes the trajectory of these characters and their relationship believable throughout. The leads share a really nice chemistry with each other, and their genuine performances help make every moment resonate. Every facet of this production is handled with great skill. The whole team should be proud of the beautiful and authentic film that they created.

Carving a Life is a touching drama about a young man, Mitch, who falls in love and marries his girlfriend, Lauren. Their idyllic relationship soon starts to unravel as Mitch displays a worsening drinking problem that starts to destroy his life. Mitch must deal with a tragedy in his past so that he can overcome his alcoholism and repair his marriage before their son is born.

The film reminded me in some ways of A Star is Born, which is a big compliment, and I think a lot of other viewers will feel the same connection. The young lead actors are talented and carry the film. The soundtrack is also quite good and there's a song that I particularly liked later in the film. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Navid Negahban, Abu Nazir from TV's Homeland, in a small role in the film. Ultimately, Carving a Life is a very well made drama about overcoming addiction, confronting your past, and mending your relationships. I would highly recommend Carving a Life to everyone.

A beautiful yet sad story that portrays the overcoming of alcohol addiction. This film captures the essences of strong relationships that forge through rough circumstances. The story has many layers and unexpected twists, with a strong plot and strong character development that will embrace you as the story progress. Overall a great indie gem.

I really liked the two leads, therefore I was totally drawn into the story when their fairytale love story spirals down. This drama about a couple having to deal with addiction issues and all the terrible effects in can have on a relationship has a very true ring to it, one which everyone possibly can relate to if you replace the addiction with your own relationship issues. The ultimate question, should you leave someone or continue to work on the relationship is the centre of this film and a question possibly everyone has asked themselves at least once in their lifetime.

Nice visuals, a good souundtrack and great directing make this film an indie gem to watch out for.

In their latest piece, director Terry Ross and writer Lisa Bruhn present a young couple navigating the trials of adult life as they work to sort out their own baggage and plan for a future neither was quite expecting. Aside from the meet cute and the romantic opening act, most of the film depicts a rather toxic relationship (largely at the expense of Lauren and due to the actions of the alcoholic Mitch) to - sadly, perhaps - much success. The filmmakers have clearly experienced similar relationships and imbue their characters with authenticity throughout. As such, at times it feels like this couple should just part ways, but the spark between them makes it hard to not root for them to sort things out. By the end of it all, you can't help feeling that this is true life and that every relationship has it's problems to work through, some more intense than others. Sure it would be much easier to run away, but do you lose more than you gain by doing so? "A Carving Life" examines this question and offers some input, but ultimately leaves viewers with much to think on after the credits finish.

This was a well written love story that I thought would have a certain ending but they fooled me. I love how u showed the real strength of a woman and she didn't back down. Acting was very good in it. A must see

Terry Ross' Carving A Life is a story which reminds us that love can still prevail, even when viciously attacked at the seams by the brutality of alcoholism.

Strong chemistry between lead actors Tyler Bruhn and Karenssa Legear drive the success of this love story. We believe them when they fall in love. We believe them when we see the strain of conflict surface, brought on by the initial on-screen emergence of this powerful relationship killer. The early connection established between the young actors allows us then to root for them in the film's critical middle stage, where we do experience some discomfort in having to watch the alcohol surging ahead and winning the battle. Ultimately, what we see as Ross sets up the film does indeed resemble the ugly face of the disease that all of us have seen or somehow touched in Real Life, and that is a tribute to Ross' storytelling and speaks to great execution from the film's cast.

As crushing a foe as alcohol can be, we are introduced to hope in the film's critical final act, and are presented with a roadmap in which love and support are no less powerful than the disease. Carving A Life tells an often-told story; if you're a filmmaker and you take that well-traveled path, you'd best do it with a deft hand. Ross succeeds in demonstrating exactly that, and turns Carving A Life into a triumph of the human condition.

Charming slice of life indie flick. A bit of a romance drama coming of age story - young adults moving into maturity, struggling with true to life issues like alcoholism and starting a family. Very affable and relatable characters. Nice camera work and very good sound quality.

CARVING A LIFE is a really nice indie find! It deals with the very real problem of addiction in a non- cliché way rather than veering off into Melodrama like so many films before it. The camera work is awesome and professional and the editing is super creative and non-linear. The cast is also really strong, especially the leads. Performances this strong keep you in the story and make it feel very powerful. If you've ever dealt with friends or family with addiction problems and issues like these, this film will really resonate with you. Great work!

CARVING A LIFE doesn't embellish things in a "Hollywood" way when it comes to romance, both Mitch and Lauren look like attractive normal people rather than "movie-attractive people" as well as their courtship and relationship development feels natural in its progression rather than some idealized and unrealistic depiction of love. However, it is this sweet way it is written that makes us root for them as two people who deserve to be together, and that's why when the film becomes a study in the effects and causes of alcoholism that the drama becomes so powerful to watch. It's all in the development, in how the film builds these characters and then breaks them in front of us. When we first meet Mitch and Lauren, they are introduced through the "meet-cute" trope which is common in love stories, taking place at Mitch's wood workshop where he has carved a wooden dolphin, which according to Mitch symbolizes freedom (a symbol that will play its part later on). From then on things progress as they date and become emotionally involved. During their first date there's one moment, one second in which we know this will not be the typical love-story; When Mitch is preparing dinner for Lauren for the first time, she arrives with a bottle of wine. When he sees the bottle there's this subtle reaction (excellent work by Bruhn) we see in his eyes that moment of precognition where he can see exactly what's going to happen next. Mitch still believes he can have a drink without succumbing to his buried alcoholism, but eventually his condition begins to devolve and what began as a love-story transforms into a complex portrayal of addiction and its consequences on different levels.

CARVING A LIFE is not just concerned with the damage alcoholism causes in an individual's psyche and relationships, but also on their health; Mitch develops a liver decease which will kill him if he doesn't quit drinking, his addiction is so bad he doesn't believe the doctor's diagnosis and gets Eric to smuggle alcohol into his hospital room. We have seen the best in Mitch and now we see him at his worst, we have seen him be a loving husband and now we see him destroying his marriage and his body. We care because we have seen him at his best and we know he wants to do better, but his alcoholism overpowers him at times, he's a prisoner to this bottle monster who has dominated him so thoroughly he act irrationally beyond just drunk behavior, his addiction makes him crave the drink despite knowing his body won't be able to sustain him anymore. Mitch eventually confronts his addiction on all fronts. First beginning with himself, coming to terms with his guilt, his relationship with his father, finding closure and severing ties with Eric, his enabler. Regaining his health and finally rebuilding his marriage and working his way to becoming the father he knows he can be. Throughout the film, we see Mitch carving the image of a bigger dolphin in wood, giving shape to it as the film progresses. Once the dolphin is complete, so is his progression into sobriety. The dolphin represents Mitch's freedom from alcohol, finally complete.

Directed with sensitivity by Terry Ross and smartly written by Lisa Bruhn, CARVING A LIFE is a mixture of endearing romance and searing addiction drama. Among its best qualities as a motion picture, is its pace. The film moves fast, but never in a hurry. Its narrative is clear, but it never lingers unnecessarily in redundant scenes. In other words, besides being a very complete look at alcoholism it is also a very entertaining film. The backbone of the film is Mitch and Lauren's relationship, which feels real and not an unreal idealization at all. They and their story are grounded and relatable, we all know people like them. And credit goes to the casting of Tyler Bruhn as Mitch and Karenssa LeGear as Lauren. Their chemistry is believable, they look good together, but after knowing them as people we really want them to succeed and stay together. Bruhn's does great work depicting Mitch in his different stages. We meet him sober, loving and thoughtful, and then we see the subtle change in him. Beginning with that very brilliant moment where he sees the bottle of wine for the first time and he does all the work through his eyes. Later on his condition worsens and Bruhn captures the need for sedation and forgetting his troubles through the drink. It's a harrowing performance to watch, particularly in the moments where his health worsens and we see him drinking while bedridden. LeGear herself captures the other side of the coin, she represents the loved ones, the people who are affected as collateral damage by alcoholism. Lauren is put through the wringer as Mitch humiliates her and lets her down. She is at first in love but we see her slowly becoming more and more disenchanted and disappointed with Mitch while still maintaining hopes that he will do better. Sandi Todorovic as Eric is a key component as he is almost an anthropomorphic representation of alcohol, Todorovic is a stand in for alcoholic giving it a voice and a personality as an attractive devilish and fun charmer that keeps dragging Mitch to parties and pressures him into giving into his cravings. Overall, this is a very complete and honest look at a story we all have either heard of in real life, happening to people we know or that some of us have gown through in the flesh. This is an authentic film on the subject of alcoholism and most importantly, rehabilitation.