Apartment 4E (2012)

Overrated

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Almost unbearable pseudo-intellectual nonsense. It has an original story line, and I appreciated it's mood and pace, but it is so full of non-sequiturs and philosophical gibberish that I felt like I was reading someone's embarrassing middle school poetry. Full of meretricious profundity. I understand that I may sound arrogant (especially when using a term like meretricious) and harsh, but I actually couldn't help from feeling nauseous and cringing. Cannibal Holocaust was easier to watch. I can only see it as thought provoking or emotionally resonant for somebody that is too lazy to pick up a treatise or postmodern novel, or watch an O'Neill play. Also some overacting, enough that I was well aware that I was watching a movie with actors,as well.

I thought this movie had some serious powerhouse acting in it. Dialogue heavy which initially made me fear for boredom to come. But it never came. I was impressed.Nicole was superb.I would surely hope that this was at least considered for some sort of awards, and if not, it was sadly missed.I don't want to give spoilers because I want to tell people to watch. To pay attention. To see the realism with the acting.I hope the director does many more things in the future. I look forward to them.

In 2012 Nicole Beharie starred in the off-Broadway-play-turned-film, Apartment 4E, in which she plays Piper, a suicidal shut-in suffering from "Bi-Polar disorder with a touch of OCD." Originally titled, Small of her Back, Apartment 4E serves as the writing and directorial debut for indie filmmaker, Russell Leigh Sharman. Starring opposite Beharie is veteran stage actor, Christopher Domig, who plays the part of John Sharp. John knocks on Piper's door one night and introduces himself as the therapist brother of Mollie, a woman Piper met in an online chat room "three months and a week ago."The encounter that turns both Piper's and John's worlds upside down also serves as a platform for visibility. Apartment 4E portrays mental illness through a new lens and from an uncommon point of view – both from the perspective of someone with a disorder and from someone affected by association. Sharman does a great job illustrating the general lack of understanding surrounding mental health. Through the amazing performances of the film's two stars, he provides a fresh, incredibly honest and uncomfortably accurate portrayal of what mental illness really looks like.Beharie's performance isn't the only reason you should see this film, though it is quite possibly the only one you really need. Domig noted, "I'm not trying to look down on my own work here, but had she not been as active and sort of the catalyst for the scenes, my work would've suffered." "Most actors tend to fall back on stereotypes," Domig said in acknowledging that Beharie had the hard part in her portrayal of Piper. "I just had to make sure she didn't catch him in his lies.""A suicidal shut-in. A man at her door. And neither is who they seem." Apartment 4E, is a film starring actress and singer Nicole Beharie and musician, composer, and actor Christopher Domig. Originally written by Russell Leigh Sharman for the stage, it's only fair to mention this is not a film for everyone. I know. You've heard that line before. In this case it's not a poor excuse for a bad film or a mediocre attempt to get you to give the project a chance. It's a warning, letting you know exactly what to expect. Sharman confessed his conscious decision to change very little about the stage version upon bringing it to the screen. He did this despite his understanding that film is meant for movement and works best with multiple locations.At least 98% of the film is made up of Nicole Beharie, Christopher Domig, and a Queens, NY apartment. What takes place in that apartment is something that watches like a stage play typically does. Shot in just 14 days with two days to rehearse, this movie is a raw, honest and accurate portrayal of mental illness. Here you can appreciate the importance of chemistry between performers and the tiny nuances in Beharie's acting that make her performances so powerful. If you want to see Nicole Beharie put in work, you want to see this film.Even more, there's a message in this body of work – one that you aren't beat over the head with, yet still hits you pretty hard, giving you a new landscape of mental health in the process.Full article available at kammstheace.com

A low-budget indie drama that takes place almost entirely in a single space and deals with the conflict between two very different individuals, one a white male and the other a black female. Both are suffering from their own personal demons and in the end are able to finally combat them and change for the better. As low key as it is, the story itself throws some pretty shocking revelations at the viewer and is very heavy on dialogue. Nicole Beharie gives a powerhouse performance as a woman suffering from bipolar disorder and is on the very edge of killing herself. She manages to be terrifying, sexy, riveting, and hilarious throughout, and sometimes even all at once. It'll be a crime if her performance in this doesn't lead to many more roles in the near-future. Christopher J. Domig holds his own well, giving a quiet, calculated performance full of complexity and controlled rage. This is a very, very slow film, so it obviously won't appeal to everyone. I saw it at the Pan African Film Festival and at least two people fell asleep, but thankfully, everyone else was able to appreciate it for the challenging, perceptive film it truly is.