The Makings of You

The Makings of You, also known as Never My Love, is a drama film directed by Matt Amato and starring Sheryl Lee and Jay R. Ferguson. The movie was shot in the director's hometown of St. Louis and is a "labor of love that includes some of the most beautiful images of his hometown ever captured on film."^[1] It is the reunion of Twin Peaks alum Sheryl Lee and Grace Zabriskie as mother and daughter, who also produced the film, with production company The Masses. The director is releasing a reedited version of the film in 2021.^[2][3]

The Makings of You
Directed by	Matt Amato
Written by	Matt Amato
Produced by	Matt Amato Sheryl Lee Jack Richardson Grace Zabriskie
Starring	Sheryl Lee Jay R. Ferguson Grace Zabriskie
Cinematography	Chris Benson
Edited by	Matt Amato Alexandra Pelly
Production company	The Masses
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Single mother Judy (Sheryl Lee) and consignment shop owner Wallis (Jay R. Ferguson) fall in love when they meet in Wallis' shop. Judy's mother Margaret (Grace Zabriskie) and her sons Roy (Grant Leuchter) and Eric (Gene Lesher) don't accept the relationship. This is an "uncompromisingly visionary and unconventionally methodical film (think Antonioni, circa 1960), reminds viewers that even the most dismissed areas of an often dismissed city can evoke heretofore unseen sparks of vibrancy."^[4][5][6]

Cast

• Sheryl Lee as Judy
• Jay R. Ferguson as Wallis
• Grace Zabriskie as Margaret
• Grant Leuchtner as Roy
• Gene Lesher as Eric
• Henry Goldkamp as Carl
• Elizabeth Ann Townsend as Mrs. Bea
• Craig Hawksley as Scotti

Previews

An early cut of the film was first screened at as a work in progress at St. Louis International Film Festival in November 2014.^[7][8][5] It was also previewed at Sarasota Film Festival in April 2015,^[9] Portland Film Festival in September 2015, Carmel Film Festival in October 2015, Arthouse Film Festival in April 2016 and Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival in September 2016. The director announced in 2019 that he is releasing a new version of the film in 2020.^{[10][11][12][13][14]}

Release

A version of the film was shown out of competition at festivals in 2015. Involvement with a fraudulent investor prohibited the movie from being released until the filmmakers were able to achieve legal resolution. In 2020, the director and editor were able to finish the movie as it was intended.^[15][16]

Reception

"Amato is a radical filmmaker, willing to make a movie that travels like a river, or unfolds like a piece of music or a real human life, something that seems alien after we’ve slumped in theater seats, overdazzling our retinas with exploding cars and exploding planets. He realizes the transformative power of seeing—and not seeing. Of showing the full spectrum of a full human life, with a slice hidden in shadow. That unsettled, mysterious place makes room for the watcher but throws down the challenge to do more than just watch. Is this is a particle, or a wave? it asks. Who are you? What's in your pockets? And what do you see?"^[17]

"This beautifully acted and photographed drama leaves a lasting impression. Amato, a veteran helmer of music videos, invests the proceedings with a subtle, dreamlike quality that gives the film an undeniable, but never stultifying, artsy feel. If you're not already in love when you see the film, you'll desperately want to be afterwards."^[18]

Soundtrack

The film was initially titled after the Curtis Mayfield song, The Makings of You. For the 2020 re-cut version, the film title changed to reflect another song title, Never My Love. The soundtrack supervisors are Carlos Niño and Eothen Allapat of Now-Again Records and features lush instrumentals with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, obscure psychedelic rock and R&B music from bands like Ofege and Witch.

It's been praised for its spectacular soundtrack, for its gritty, otherworldly atmosphere, and for its surprising love story—revolving around middle-aged blue-collar characters—that spirals out into something much larger.^[2]

References

1. Williams, Joe. "'Makings of You' is homecoming for director Matt Amato". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
2. Naffziger, Chris (8 January 2018). "For filmmaker Matt Amato, St. Louis is a constant source of creative inspiration". St. Louis Magazine.
3. SMITH, ERICA (7 Nov 2014). "St. Louis Film Kicks Off Film Festival". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
4. "Never My Love on IMDB". IMDb.
5. Kaiser, Kathy (11 Nov 2014). "SLIFF 2014 Review – THE MAKINGS OF YOU". We Are Movie Geeks. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
6. Tudor, Jim (12 November 2014). "St. Louis 2014 Review: THE MAKINGS OF YOU Makes A Noteworthy Debut". screenanarchy.com. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
7. McClellan, Bill (12 Nov 2014). "McClellan: Film director's St. Louis roots are in typewriters". St. Louis Magazine. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
8. Williams, Erin (13 Nov 2014). "'Makings of You' is homecoming for director Matt Amato". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
9. Patterson, Adam (25 March 2015). "2015 Sarasota Film Festival Announces Full Lineup". Filmpulse. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
10. Royal, David (23 October 2015). "Best Bets, Oct. 23-29: Early Halloween, Rocky Horror and dinos". Monterey Herald. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
11. "AN EARLY LOOK AT FILMS". Arthouse Film Festival. 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
12. "Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival 2016". Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival Official Website. 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
13. Sapienza, Ethan (13 August 2016). "2015 Portland Film Festival Announces Full Lineup". Indiewire. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
14. Frank Scheck (9 May 2015). "The Makings of You: Film Review". hollywoodreporter.com. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
15. Danckert, Sarah (2017-10-06). "Wreck threatens tech company Yuuzoo as founders face fraud claims". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
16. Journalists, Four Corners with the International Consortium of Investigative (2017-11-06). "The secret, handwritten deal to 'exploit' Michael Hutchence's estate". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
17. Russell, Stefene (2015-07-17). "And Then The Whole World Changes". www.stlmag.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
18. "'The Makings of You': Film Review | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.

External links

• Official website