Observing ‘Un-resolved’ by Bruce Cunningham Jr.
Throughout the year, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about Bruce Cunningham Jr.’s film entitled Un-resolved. The movie has been on display a few times in 2022, and the latest screening was for the St. Louis International Film Festival. It was screened at the movie theater in St. Louis Galleria. I watched the film in the company of my friends and peers. Almost every seat in the theater was taken by observers.
Cunningham and his collaborators are in the process of discussing a deal to bring Un-resolved to a theatrical release or streaming service. Since the film is going through its next stages on the business side of things, it is important to keep plotlines and character development to a minimum in film criticism because I think its important to refrain from giving away all the details of the project.
The story takes place in St. Louis. The film’s cinematography is stellar. It is filled with locations within the city and each of them possess a realism and creative aesthetic quality. I am from St. Louis and it was nice to see my city on screen as I have been to many of the locations that exist in film. There was something about watching the movie that made me feel like I was home and I learned it has significance to not only St. Louisans but people who live in urban areas and want to do things that will make their communities better.
Based on my observation, the camera captures the essence of the city through broader shots, and focuses on the interpersonal relationships with a tighter focus. The film depicts a variety of different shots and it makes the movie feel like the settings and the relationships were authentic. While I enjoyed the journey of visually experiencing the various locations within the city, it is of significant importance to describe how the acting and intricate details were depicted visually. For example, in the scenes when the main character is looking to establish a relationship with his children, these emotional circumstances were on display in a fashion that invokes the expression of trust, loyalty and love. Observing the main character’s interaction with his family made for excellent dramatic scenes throughout the piece. As for all of the other scenes, Un-resolved at moments will make you want to laugh, feel sadness, and experience empathy.
The Main Plot Line
While there are several different narratives taking place throughout the movie, the main character’s plight centers on family. He spent eight years in prison and after his release he does everything within his control to try to make up for lost time with his family. Each family member has obstacles in their way that make it tougher for their father to have an impact. Un-resolved is about doing what ever it takes to make things right between family members in order to show them how much they are loved and appreciated within the family unit and in a broader context.
Inspirations
After the film’s credits were displayed on the big screen, Bruce Cunningham and his collaborators conducted a talkback with the audience. During the talk, Bruce Cunningham discussed his inspirations for creating the piece. Before it was a feature film, certain parts of the project were meant to be smaller films to be shown at Church events. Throughout a five-year journey, Cunningham took much of the film and edited it into sequences in order to transform it into Un-resolved. He was also inspired about the plotline of someone doing whatever it takes in order to protect their family. Over time, Cunningham assembled an excellent score of music that matches the cinematography perfectly.
Importance to Society
Un-resolved contains positive social commentary that is vital for national and international audiences. The story includes themes people can empathize with and they encourage observers to not give up in their lives. After the talkback, I left the theater feeling extremely positive about what I had seen. Un-resolved is an indie film that feels like a movie from a major studio. Cunningham is working on the next stages of getting the story out to as many people as possible. I would highly recommend viewing this film in future screenings and look out for the prospect of the project getting an extended release.