Supporting Characters

          Supporting Characters is a cute little indie about two editors working on perhaps the worst film of their not-all-that-spectacular careers. Although talented, Nick (Alex Karpovsky, perhaps best known for his work with Lena Dunham) and Darryl (Tarik Lowe) struggle to get fair working conditions as an editorial duo. In their personal lives, the romance seems promising from the get-go. Darryl has a girlfriend and Nick is engaged. Tensions start when Darryl suspects his girlfriend is cheating on him, while Nick prospects beginning an affair with the lead actress on the movie he and Darryl are cutting. Despite the heavy sound of these tensions, the film stays light-hearted throughout, making it fun if not rewarding to watch. Technical issues that reek of a low budget are present occasionally, particularly in the sound design. When no dialogue is being spoken and ambience levels are all but nonexistent, a light coating of white noise is audible, defeating the magic of cinema that makes oneself feel present in the scene. At other times, the levels are just off. The New York City street traffic ambience sounds as if it is in the foreground, overpowering the actors at inappropriate times rather than sinking into the background and being practically unnoticeable. This again takes away from the illusion that movies create. These imperfections are minor, but significant. At the same time, they do not take away from the overall pleasure of watching this typical, modern NYC indie that has become the norm due in part to such visionaries as Woody Allen, Lena Dunham, and Noah Baumbach. Alex Karpovsky is especially entertaining in this movie if you enjoy his humor, which is coupled nicely with the less-dry energy of Tarik Lowe. This film is available on Netflix if you would like to give it a shot.