Becks

Becks is the kind of modest, non-earthshaking indie enterprise that ends up being so satisfying mostly because it’s about a character type familiar from real life but all too under-represented at the movies.

The film is very well designed by directors Rohrbaugh and Powell, the musical interludes really sing and the actors make for scintillating company.

With Becks, directors Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Daniel Powell have crafted an understated musical that really works, thanks to Alyssa Robbins’s heartfelt music and standout performances from the cast.

Sexy and sexually frank, Becks works thanks to the musical talent and offbeat charms of its lead. Hall feels authentic at each moment, whether she's strumming a guitar in a dive bar, fighting with her mother or falling in love.

Hall anchors the picture, at home on stage singing and playing, and a bit of an impulsive, arrested-development mess off it.

Perhaps recognizing their biggest asset, the directors, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Daniel Powell, allow Ms. Hall’s numbers to play out at length... If the screenplay perhaps backs itself into a corner, its irresolution feels true to life.

Like its protagonist’s fleeting relationships, the film never completely connects.

BECKS was sassy, funny, and romantic despite the betrayal and conflict the plot is centered around. Lena Hall as Becks was authentic and sarcastic, and sometimes had me laughing out loud with her witty one-liners. BECKS is a great movie for anyone looking for rom-com to sit back and relax to, and also for anyone looking for a good post-break-up playlist.

Becks is an incredible new film full of real and emotional content. Not only is the film itself fantastic but so are the original score and talented musicians. I was so impressed by Lena Hall’s performance both as an actress and musician. This film manages to be both laugh out loud funny and heartbreakingly sad. My favorite part was the music which developed with Lena Hall’s character as she finds her musical voice following a devastating breakup with her girlfriend. I highly recommend to all music and fill lovers!

After experiencing Lena Hall’s performance in BECKS, it’s safe to say her Grammy and Tony Awards are well deserved. The plot is centered around the personal growth of Becks The Wreck, who's aptly named, after the demise of a relationship. Lena Hall, along with the rest of the cast, authentically portrayed the complexities of the character.

Becks is an independent musical drama which was incredibly enjoyable. It follows the titular character, Becks, a spunky, guitar-wielding girl, who moves back in with her conservative, Christian mother after a devastating breakup with her girlfriend. She begins playing for tips at bars and teaching guitar lessons as new relationships form and old ones change. There is a certain level of authenticity and genuineness in the character’s dialogue and mannerisms, it doesn’t seem scripted. There’s actual weight behind the characters and who they are- the film doesn’t reduce them to archetypes, even though it would’ve been easier to do so, especially for an independent film. The heartwarming and melancholy tone of the narrative will chip away at even the most hardened of cynics. Definitely worth a watch, even if it’s just for the amazing and original soundtrack.

Becks is a painfully derivative indie film that tries to ride on the coattails of more accomplished musical dramas but ultimately stumbles due to its shallow storytelling and uninspired execution. Lena Hall does her best to carry the film, but the character is written with such cliché motivations that her performance feels wasted. The pacing is excruciatingly slow, and the musical performances, while technically sound, are so repetitive they start to feel like a gimmick rather than a meaningful part of the narrative. The supporting characters are one-dimensional, and the central romance lacks the emotional weight needed to make it impactful. Instead of a poignant exploration of self-discovery, Becks feels like a meandering, amateur effort with nothing new to say. By the end, the film’s lack of originality and depth make it not just forgettable, but frustratingly disappointing.