| Four | |
| Director: | Joshua Sanchez |
| Cinematography: | Gregg Conde |
| Editing: | David Gutnik |
| Music: | Bryan Senti |
| Distributor: | 306 Releasing |
| Runtime: | 75 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Four is a 2012 American romantic drama film written and directed by Joshua Sanchez (in his feature directorial debut), based on the play of the same name by Christopher Shinn. It stars Wendell Pierce (who also produced), Emory Cohen, Aja Naomi King, and E. J. Bonilla. It revolves around two couples struggling with their desires and demons on the night of the Fourth of July.
The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on July 15, 2012, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on September 13, 2013, by 306 Releasing. It received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised the performances of the cast. It was nominated for Outstanding Independent Film at the 13th Black Reel Awards, while Pierce was nominated for Best Male Lead at the 28th Independent Spirit Awards.
Four was based on Christopher Shinn's 1998 play of the same name, and was inspired by John Cassavetes' Faces and Larry Clark's Kids.[1] Joshua Sanchez first met and interviewed Shinn in 2003 while working for an online magazine. He had read all of Shinn's plays, including Four, as research for the interview. In the following year, Sanchez was approached by Shinn to obtain the rights to the play because another filmmaker didn't renew the option.[2]
Sanchez said about adapting the play:
To raise money for the film, Sanchez and his producer, Christine Giorgio, were among some of the first artists to use the crowdfunding website, Kickstarter in December 2009.[2] They successfully raised nearly $20,000 for their initial campaign.[3] Neil LaBute and Allen Frame served as executive producers. The film took over five years to make.[1]
The film is a requiem for loneliness, conformity and desire quietly hidden in the everyday norms of suburban American life and touches on several cultural boundaries, including sexuality, class and race. Three of the film's four main characters are people of color.
About Four Sanchez said:
The film was released on September 13, 2013.[4]
Stephen Holden of The New York Times stated, "This talky film doesn't try to disguise its origins as a stage play, and as Four shifts between the two couples, you are aware of its mechanics. […] But the close-ups of faces convey reams of inchoate emotion and enhance the stumbling poetry mouthed by characters whose urge to connect conflicts with their innate sense of caution."[6]
Andrew Barker of Variety remarked, "Spotlighting a quartet of furiously committed performances, and burnished by vivid, atmospheric lensing, Joshua Sanchez's Four assembles a strikingly impressive facade, though its source material makes for an unstable foundation."[7]
Emma Bernstein of IndieWire gave the film a grade of "A" and wrote, "The dialogue retains a particular flair of playwriting in its word choice and rhythm. […] While all four leads are great, Pierce steals the show with his multi-layered performance that is often best at its quietest."[8]
Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter opined, "Despite an edgy premise, Four is beset by superficial plotting and a problematic degree of equivocating moral relativism." Lowe also commented, "Sanchez's tightly framed scenes, often slightly destabilized by handheld camerawork, are par for character-driven dramas and offer little in terms of subtextual commentary."[9]
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28th Annual Imagen Awards[10] | August 16, 2013 | Best Actor/Supporting Actor - Feature Film | E.J. Bonilla | |
| 28th Independent Spirit Awards[11] | February 23, 2013 | Best Male Lead | Wendell Pierce | |
| Urbanworld Film Festival[12] | September 24, 2012 | Best Narrative Feature | Four | |
| Los Angeles Film Festival[13] | June 24, 2012 | Best Performance in the Narrative Competition | Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, Aja N. King, E.J. Bonilla | |