What makes it different from others?

Very well executed

Absolutely Fantastic

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

10 years ago I googled Wes Bentley, the character with the camera in American Beauty, and came across a website for a film called Carving Out Our Name, a documentary about four actors and an aspiring director living in a house they called "Masselin". In the late 90's, Tony Zierra decided to start filming his four roommates as they tried to make it in Hollywood. You can call it luck, you can call it foresight, whatever the case, three out of four of the guys living in the Masselin house eventually got their big breaks, and Tony was there to capture it all.Carving Out Our Name, starring Chad Lindberg, Brad Rowe, Greg Fawcett and Wes Bentley, got it's big break when it screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2001, but the tragedy that took place the morning after changed everything, and Carving Out Our Name went into hiding for good. I always hoped the film would see the light of day and this year it has. My Big Break is Carving Out our Name's Father. It's older and wiser but mostly it is fearless.It's surprisingly easy to relate to these guys as they struggle with success and fame and all that comes with it. It's even easier to relate to the one guy in the house who has to sit back and watch with envy as his three roommates make a name for themselves in Hollywood. At one point the director asks him to do something, anything, and what follows is at once equally hilarious and utterly heartbreaking. Tony Zierra's directorial debut is thoughtful, provoking and painfully real. It's non-fiction at it's best.What I loved most about this film is the fact that the person telling the story is as much a part of it as the rest. The character with the camera in American Beauty come to life.

I won't go into any specific details (because honestly, comments before me have done that wonderfully) but I do have to say this is the MUST SEE movie of the year, hell of many years.I am a movie lover, (to the tune of owning over a thousand DVD's of every variety and genre) and so many movies these days are afraid to be as honest as this one. I am more than happy to grant a glowing recommendation to a movie that I really enjoyed (and thought was a truly powerful movie).In fact, I don't remember EVER seeing such a poignant movie about the truth of Hollywood. If you are a fan of movies, or actors or entertainment in general, go out and buy this movie NOW. This is a brutally honest look at the harsh reality (sometimes hilarious, sometimes tumultuous) of an actor's life. Anyone even considering being in this business in ANY capacity should watch this movie, and take notes.

My Big Break is a documentary that unfolds like a punch to the gut. It took years for Tony Zierra to put it together, and like a fine wine it's now ready to be savored.When I first saw it, I really wasn't that invested in being there at the start, but as the movie unfolded I was hooked. I couldn't look away.Anyone who wants to get into movies should see this film as a warning about what to expect. The rest of us should see it because it's at once entertaining, engaging, funny, and tragic, and it features real people.Hollywood doesn't want you to see this film, and that's a shame. In today's world of informed people, documentaries like those by Michael Moore, Al Gore and Morgan Spurlock are appreciated and enjoyed. Tony Zierra's film ranks with the best of them, and I hope that the fact Hollywood doesn't want it to be seen by the general public won't actually hinder its ability to find an audience.Go see it; you'll be glad you did.

Tony Zierra magnificently puts to screen the real story of four roommates trying to make a name for themselves in Hollywood. While one maybe "destined" for greatness, others struggle through their potential - that may never surface… This is a genuine movie, featuring a world within Hollywood we all wish to have an inside look at.The film takes the viewer through so many emotional levels, you can't help but feel the pain that success brings to someone who is not quite ready for it. Brilliantly directed and masterfully set up. This is one of the best true Hollywood films, and it will remain that way.