Directed by Gary Winick / Written by Heather McGowan & Niels Mueller
Starring Aaron Stanford, Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth and John Ritter
78 mins / IFC Productions / Rated PG-13
Retail: $29.99 / Street: $25

The Cover

Tadpole is such a small film that it will nearly slip under the viewer's radar. Shot on Digital Video in two weeks, Tadpole is the story of unrequited love. Oscar (Aaron Stanford) loves his stepmother Eve (Sigourney Weaver) and he has taken Thanksgiving weekend as an opportunity to explain his feelings.

We watch as Oscar struggles to tell Eve how he feels in the face of many a disastrous dinner and romantic situation. He's a desperate young man trying to find his place in the world and waiting for everyone to catch up to his intellect.

The film is small in scope, but certainly charming. I really love the look of DV and what smart directors are doing with it these days. It allows an intimacy that you just can't get any other way.Of course the look of DV brings with it certain disadvantages. It's hard to tell "big" stories because of the technical limitations of the medium.

Nonetheless, Tadpole rises to the storytelling challenge with the novella structure of the film. It seems like a short story as the entire cast is quirky and original. Tadpole is a wonderful little film that will charm the pants off of most people. Funny and intimate.

Movie Grade: B+

Dinner goes very wrong.

Video: 4 out of 5
It's hard to grade a movie shot on DV. There's limitations to the format and it's nice to see when filmmakers find a way around it. I've had experience shooting on it, and I must say the result Winick received with his little cameras is great. It looks more intimate than film, but it doesn't feel documentary or voyeuristic. There's naturally a little grain and weird light levels. Really though, you forget it once you get into the story.
Technical Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1

Audio: 3 out of 5
It's not a really aggressive movie audio wise but the audio is well mixed. The music comes through with great brightness.
Technical Audio: English (Dolby 5.1)

Extras: 3 out of 5
The only thing on here is a director's commentary. Winick doesn't make for the most exciting speaker, but he does give some great pointers and how to on shooting with DV. The disc is a single disc in a keepcase.

Overall: 4 out of 5
A worth rental - it's short and sweet. You won't feel like you've wasted your time.

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