Mikes Film Talk

Isaac Hirotsu Woofter contacted us to say that Bound is “bounding” ever so high and getting a May 16 release. The film was seen at 13 festivals. It received 34 nominations, and won 11 awards. Bound will be released on May 16 2025.

THEATRICAL INFO

MAY 16-22

CITY	THEATER LOCATION LINK	Q&A DATES (director & actors in attendance)
NYC	Cinema Village (Union Square)	5/16 & 5/22
LA	Laemmle NoHo 7	5/17
BAY AREA	Alameda Theatre & Cineplex	5/18 & 5/19
ORLANDO	Premiere Cinema 14 Fashion Square	5/20
BOSTON	Apple Cinemas (Cambridge)	5/21

STREAMING INFO

MAY 16

There will be dozens of ways to stream May 16, but right now the film’s distributors are encouraging everyone to Pre-Order from Apple. 

Here is the link to pre-order:

APPLE PRE-ORDER LINK

A winner

Bound is a definite winner. The film took home 11 awards to prove it. If you are near the cinemas on the above list go check the movie out. This is well worth the time spent watching and taking in this impressive film.

Congratulations to Isaac and all the gang who put this one together. If you have forgotten what the film is all about, read the review below and jog your memory.

Bound is set in a dysfunctional world filled with dysfunctional people. It touches the heart and makes the audience think. It also entertains. Isaac Hirotsu Woofter is offering up his debut feature film on the Festival Circuit.

Woofter serves as writer and director for this one. Cinematography is credited to Maximilian Lewin and Jake Simpson. Bound is powerful and compelling. It follows the emotional pain of several characters. Bella, played magnificently by Alexandra Faye Sadeghian, escapes her familial prison. She heads to nearby New York City, a presence of its own in this tale, to be an artist.

Bella is sheltered and angry. Her overprotective step father Gordy (Bryant Carroll) has been a poor influence on his stepdaughter. At the start of her journey, Gordy is a villain. Later, we learn more about the man she hates.

flawed

All the characters and their lives share one thing. They are all flawed, just like the rural area they inhabit and the big city nearby. Woofter chooses to show us the intricacies of each character. He also places Bella in the underbelly of The Big Apple. A place that allows her to survive. It is, in all likelihood, the only place she could have fit in.

Bella encounters a number of displaced and dysfunctional people in the alleyways and crowded streets of New York. She has no place to sleep and learns quickly of the charitable and uncharitable nature of her new neighbours.

Meanwhile, back at the home she left behind, her mother and stepfather are still having problems.

It’s a small world after all

Bound goes a long way towards the adage that the world is a pretty small place. Not too unlike the old Disney ride, everyone that Bella comes in contact with has some connection to her home.

a whole lot of shakin’ going on

Bound has a lot of sub-plots going on here. This is a pretty sad slice of life on the table. Everyone has problems, a lot like real life, and most of them are afraid to leave bad things behind. We discover, just like Bella, that life connects in strange and unhappy ways.

Woofter has woven a tale of grief, struggle, drugs and best intentions. Not every character is what they seem and Bella meets a number of folks who are kind and helpful.

the good

And the bad

And the cute

While the legacy of good old Uncle Walt (Disney) is not in danger of being usurped here, Bella’s erstwhile companion; Bandit, brings some much needed love. The creature is cute, and could well be a ferret or a flying squirrel, but this furry little animal is addictive to watch.

the message

Bound may well be a hard trudge at times, but in the end, the message it conveys is that no matter how dysfunctional the world and its inhabitants are, life goes on. That living is learning. Woofter has outdone himself in his first effort. The film is addictive, no pun intended, and a solid 4.5 stars out of 5. It loses a half a star due to the overloud soundtrack music.

Bound is a winner. We loved everything, almost, about this film. The actors, the settings, the cinematography and, last but not least, the editing. Check out the trailer below and see what we mean. Watch this as soon as it comes off its festival run.

the trailer