Described as ‘the American indie discovery of the year’, IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS has also been tagged as Once meets ‘Mumblecore’, the low-fi New York hipster filmmaking movement. It’s New Year’s Eve and after a year spent jobless and alone, Wilson (Scoot McNairy), a 29-year-old LA-based out-of-work writer from Texas, wants a fresh start and a new love. Languishing without a date, and getting his kicks fantasising about his roommate’s girlfriend, he’s finally persuaded to place a personal ad. It’s answered by beautiful, bossy, egotistical Vivian (Sara Simmonds), a highly-strung wannabe actress almost fresh off the bus from the Lone Star State, who promptly lets Wilson know that he doesn’t come up to scratch. Yet something binds the two, and the date extends into an impulsive ramble around LA, characterised by bickering, flirtation, competition and just a dash of violent crime. Like a spikier Before Sunrise, this entirely delightful comedy allows a wholly persuasive relationship to develop before the audience’s eyes: flaws, ambiguities, warts and all. Shot in evocative black-and-white, this is a compelling feature from writer-director Alex Holdridge. This is a swooning love letter to Los Angeles, that does for that city what what Woody Allen has done so successfully for New York.
After this preview screening we are pleased to present a Q&A with director Alex Holdridge and cast members Scoot McNairy and Sara Simmonds.
With thanks to Vertigo Films.