Posts Tagged film review
Time Changer | Review
Time Changer, is one of the first Christian films I had ever seen. It was way back in 2002, and everyone had been excited to sit in church and watch a film that we could all be sure would be clean and uplifting. The film is a quirky little movie, with some laughs, some goofy physical and visual comedy, and a few profound theological scenes.
That said, the story is a good “idea,” but its presentation could have been a little better. I found myself really wanting to like Russell Carlyle but in the end just couldn’t do it. There was too many lines and portions of the performance that we’re bad to weigh out the good. Granted there isn’t anything wrong with his character but the way in which he was played was over the top. He comes off as a bit of a bafoon, even in his own culture and time in the film. I think what did it was the constant surprise about everything that was said or that he saw. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but sometimes I think surprised was used when he should have been more seriously confused (and not in a comedic way). The message of the story is clear however and that part of the film does come through in the end. Some of the portions of the film meant to be funny were, a few little jokes here and there that relate to our “normal” society. The moments of the film that stick out the most are the ones that are distant from the fast paced, quirky, funny music underlaid scenes. The film is most interesting when the characters sit down and talk (something that is honestly, very rare in a film of this kind). Almost everything in modern culture is shown in the film as “unusual.” Things we are now used to seeing are shown for really what they are in the eyes of God. People “playing church,” the things on TV, teenager rebellion, promiscuous dress, the fact that everyone is in such a hurry now and has lack of patience, etc. All this is well and good but I’m wondering how the film would have been if just a few of these things was centered on, and not trying to hit every target possible.
Still the film is worth the watch and good for whenever your sick and tired of the garbage the world puts out. Even with its shortcomings, it’s a breath of fresh air when I need it.
The Widow’s Might | Review
The Widows Might, a family film with tremendous heart.
Read our Interview with John Moore here.
When the lights went down at The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, it was a packed house. It was the last major showing of the festival, and The Widows Might was due to play in the big theater projected in HD. Tech geeks (like myself) were very excited to see a feature shot on the RED camera projected in all its glory with a 1080HD signal pumping through, and man did it deliver. The film looked fantastic on the screen. That isn’t the only place the film delivered, it knocked the audience out of their chair and got them to stand up more than 3 times after the film was over. I have NEVER seen such a response from an audience, the noise was ear busting. The film fit like a glove to the intended audience, it was perfect.
Now lets move on to the film itself. The film is at heart a family film, made for people of any age. Kids will no doubt eat up the film, all the elements in it are tailor made to appeal to children, especially the western sequences. The music in the film is excellent, probably one of my favorite parts of the film. I’m not sure anything of this sort has been done in a
“Christian” film before, and if it has, I doubt it has been done to this quality level. The acting is decent and sometimes very good, but the quirkiness of the entire project itself makes a lot of the acting in my opinion fit just right, regardless of whatever mistakes might be there. The story itself is crafted very well and has enough going on to keep you interested, you care about what is going on, and cheer when the good guys win and when the bad guys lose. The comedic moments are definitely the most well crafted parts of the story. Everything worked perfect with the audience, including the homeschool jokes which caused clapping throughout the viewers. Timing is everything in comedy, as are the cuts in the edit to create the beats, all of which was done very well. The look of the film is excellent, although not my cup of tea. None the less the film
looks great, not even like 35mm but like something else entirely. It’s its own look, and has a very Disney like quality to it. The colors are saturated and pop very easily, and the camera work during the musical sequences is especially well done. James Burgess has done a fine job throughout, I look forward to what he does in the future.
Overall this film was wonderful, and the audience it played to and will be sold to absolutely loved it. John Moore has done something really special here, let this be a lesson to all of you. If you create a good story idea, make sure you can sell it, and make sure you know WHO you are selling it to. All your decisions should revolve around that, this film is only one of many that prove that point. Know your audience, and know them well. This film doesn’t include the gospel, but it wasn’t made for the non-Christian. This film was made to be clean, family viewable entertainment for the Christian household. It fits the bill, and fits it well.
Come What May | Review
Films about political issues normally aren’t my cup of tea, actually politics isn’t really my cup of tea. When politics involve (or attack) the accuracy and truth of the bible, then it’s a different story. Come What May is the first project by the newly formed Advent Film Group. It was created by 40 homeschool students in association with Patrick Henry College.
The story is about moot court, something I didn’t even know existed until I heard of this film for the first time. Debating, legalities, etc. isn’t something I really take an interest in, although I do enjoy the occasional Law & Order episode. Regardless the idea of the film is compelling enough to keep interest, as are the family problems and struggles intertwined.
The chemistry between characters is genuine, especially Caleb and Rachel. The film at times feels like a long commercial for Patrick Henry College, and feels a bit squished into the plot. Rachel’s convictions of courting and marriage while full of truth and integrity comes off read and forced. However, young women are sure to grasp the message of her beliefs. The relationship between Caleb’s mother and father and their story within the film comes off the strongest in my opinion. Their marital issues are common and will be relatable to parents, especially those unequally yoked in their beliefs and goals. The court sequences are also shot in a way that is interesting enough to keep attention, and the ending of the film is satisfying (I wont ruin it for you). Overall the film is a clean, message driven film that many will enjoy regardless of any flaws it may have. There aren’t many films on abortions, especially a film that takes the pro-life side of the issue so the film is a breath of fresh air. The topics dealt with in the film are very relevant to todays politics, which is why I think it will do well when it is released March 17th.
On a technical level, the film shows the most flaws. Some beautiful imagery is often mixed with poor framing and color. The film was shot with the Canon XHA1 with a Redrock M2 Adapter and this at least helps the film by giving it a shallower depth of field. The color of the film is great at times (especially outside) with rich vibrant images. However, sometimes skin tones have a grey milky tone to them. The sound in the film fluctuates in quality from barely audible to properly balanced, poor signals and strong signals. I feel my biggest gripe with the film is the fact it was shot in 30p instead of 24p. The filmic look is absent and adds to the low-budget homemade feeling to the film, which I don’t think is a good thing. Besides all these problems, the film still does its job. With the majority volunteer crew who were learning a lot along the way, the result is still surprising. I always find it fascinating to see a lot done with a little, regardless of the result. I think it’s a weakness of mine, I’ve seen this film more than 10 times by now.
I compare it to Flywheel, Sherwood Pictures first film. A diligent effort for a first project, with promise for the future. Advent will undoubtably excel on a technical level in the future, everyone always does. They will certainly find no issue getting funding with this film being picked up for wide DVD distribution. I look forward to seeing what kind of projects are in the works from Advent Film Group.
