I know I'm weighing in on this a little late, and I know that the director's been gone from here for a while, but I thought I'd comment.
I'm a writer, not an actor or director. Usually only melodramatic performances annoy me, and these didn't come off this way. I actually liked the acting. But, then again, I'm a writer. The dialog seemed--at its lowest point--decent, and it served it's purpose. I never laughed, but I was grinning--getting a reaction from me is very difficult.
And I liked the subtle comedy. Personally, I'm not a fan of "comedies;" I'm a fan of a comedic (other genre.) The best example being maybe....Scream. The dialog was a bit too much sometimes, but what had me smiling in that movie--and its sequel--was the sincere way David Arquette portrayed his goofy character. I've seen those films several times, and his scenes are the ones I still laugh at.
No films are perfect. Hitchcock, Spielberg, Capra and Coppola have never made perfect films. They don't exist. The best any production team can hope for is doing the absolute best they can with what they have. I'd say that you were definitely heading for it, and what came out was entertaining and successful. What else can a filmmaker hope for, right?
And, as others have said, the cinematography is superb.
I'm glad you got the reception you wanted, and I'm glad that you had a successful run.
If I had to rate it, I'd give it around 7.5/10.
