William Harding (Mark Webber) is a 20 year old struggling actor in NYC from Texas. He doesn't really know his dad Vincent (Ethan Hawke) after he left with his mother at 8. Sarah (Catalina Sandino Moreno) wants to be a singer. They hit it off right away. Samantha (Michelle Williams) is his ex who he is still hanging with. He has issues. Her mother (Sonia Braga) doesn't approve of her singing and complains a lot. His mother Jesse (Laura Linney) is also quite a piece of work.It's an indie from Ethan Hawke. It's a fairly bland affair. The lead Webber doesn't have the best charisma. His character is emotionally damaged. Moreno has a sweet presence but she struggles to do more. They both have infuriating moments that makes it hard to invest in their relationship. There is a musical element but there isn't anything catchy. There's no magic in that. It's an angsty indie without the needed likability. The dialog is very clunky with Hawke trying too hard. Being an Ethan Hawke film, there are a lot of great actors. I guess people just want to hang out with him.

The Hottest State is the story of William, played by Mark Webber (Storytelling), an up and coming young actor in New York City who meets the unassuming Sarah, played by Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), one night at a local bar. There's an immediate attraction. As he walks her home that night and pulls out a cigarette she tells him not to smoke. "Why?" he asks, curious. She answers "Because I might want to kiss you." William is nervous, emotional and bracingly honest. Sarah, who has just moved from Connecticut to pursue her dreams of being a singer, is quiet, emotionally reserved and detached. As they get closer, his growing excitement is matched by her growing fears.After a hypnotic and sexually charged week together in Mexico, William stays to film a movie while Sarah returns to New York. When William gets back he immediately senses something is not right. Sarah becomes distant and increasingly annoyed at William's attention. Soon the bomb is dropped. "I came to New York to be free." It is the beginning of the end.Already scarred by his estranged father (played by Ethan Hawke) who left him when he was just a boy and unable to reason with losing the one good thing in his life, William begins a tragic descent into desperation and despair. His behavior becomes increasingly chaotic and manic, climaxing with one of the most uncomfortable answering machine message scenes the screen has seen since Swingers.The Hottest State is a story of first love and heartbreak but it's also the story of a wounded young boy searching for a father he never knew. Both Webber and Moreno have a unique and intense chemistry that quickly builds and falls while Hawke does a masterful job of letting his actors control each frame.

I saw this film at the LA Film Festival and found it to be a boring talk-fest between two largely unsympathetic, unconvincing characters. If Hawke was trying to channel Linkletter's Before Sunrise/Sunset, he should have also created characters whose motivations and reactions are at least somewhat plausible, even if they happen to be 20 year olds. On the other hand, the character portrayed by Laura Linney (the mother of male lead) is refreshing in her contribution of realism to the story. Otherwise, if you like lots of self-involved rambling about nothing much, punctuated by music videos and a few moments of soft-core porn, this is your movie.

I saw this film in Venice on Saturday 2 September. I absolutely loved it! I haven't read the book , so cannot comment on how faithful the film is, however I really enjoyed it, and it was certainly the best I saw in Venice.The story made me really emotional. I could see myself or my friends at 20 years old and recognised a lot of emotional patterns that are typical of growing up. The actors are all amazing. The two main characters have got a freshness and grace about them that make them beautiful to watch. Laura Linney and Ethan Hawke play the parents wonderfully.It is a very sexy and raw film, but delicate at the same time. For anyone who has ever fallen in love and had his heart broken for the very first time. It made me cry a lot and I thank Ethan Hawke for it!