Without Grace

Shannon brown didnt sell me on his acting...he tried to hard and really under acted on the emotional parts of the movie...the beginning was dragged out and the emotional parts didnt feel real enough to engage me of feeling the way it should.... he needs to take more sensitivity acting classes or watch more movies for research to engage the audience.

This movie has you feeling what the actors are feeling. You have a range of emotions in 1 movie. You can sympathize with the characters because we've known people in our lives who are just like them.

This movie was okay. There were parts that seemed really drawn out and unnecessary like the very long wedding reception, the cemetery scenes that went on and on (who really needs cry and look up at the sky that much? Seriously... once would've been enough), I found myself more annoyed than sympathetic. There were also a lot of sex scenes which would've been okay in another movie but the title for this is "Without Grace" and has religious undertones. I found the sex scenes tasteless for the premise of the film.

I did find some parts delightful. The character of Razor was hands down one of the best and funniest characters introduced. I was actually laughing out loud rather than snickering. I also loved the Terry character. His few scenes were great. I'd really like to see a montage of Terry's dancing from the wedding, I may have enjoyed the pointlessness of the scene more had that been in there.

The lead actor was okay. Not great, not terrible, and not nearly hot enough for it not to matter. He has some promise once he's finished a few more acting classes and learns how to not over-dramatize things. I'd hire him as the lead in a high school play.

The main actresses were decent for the parts they played though the one who showed true talent was the one who played Brooklyn.

The writing had some promise but overall could've used a little more work. Too much was drawn out, lots of forced scenes, and I couldn't really connect with the main character. Not sure if I should be blaming the writing, the directing, the editing, the acting, or a combination of all.

With everything being said, it was entertaining enough to finish. It's best selling point is that it's loosely based on a true story and has some comedic value.

Summary: Entertaining enough.

I streamed this on Amazon with my girl, I was a little apprehensive as it screamed Hallmark movie and I was afraid I was about to regrettably lose 2 hours of my life that I'd never get back, thankfully it was not that at all. We are both fans of Shannon Brown and we've seen a lot of his work, so we knew there was a pretty good chance that we'd enjoy it even if the genre wasn't necessarily our cup of tea. Grace certainly had elements that could drive the story towards a Lifetime snooze fest, but the writer did a fine job of steering the ship in a unique, less predictable direction. There are a couple of twists that certainly come out of nowhere including one early in the story that hits like freight train. In addition to the writing, the cast was superb. Most of us are familiar with Shannon Brown, so making him your lead charged with carrying the story is a pretty safe choice and to noone's surprise I'm sure, he once again delivers as the main character. This was not an easy role, but Brown does a masterful job of keeping you engaged which is good because I think he's in every darn scene.

I enjoyed seeing Jimmy Tolliver back on the screen again with Brown. Their characters played really well of each other and Tolliver's comedic chops certainly provided much needed levity in this gut wrenching tear jerker.

Most of the cast was great, but I could have done without the Terry character. This actor looks like an extra from Trailer Park Boys, but his so called acting finds an even lower floor than that. His predictable cheap humor provides more of an unnecessary distraction rather than the intended levity that I assume was intended by the director as it's not the type of comedy that belongs in a story like this. Not sure if this is a case of bad acting or bad direction, I'm sure the answer is somewhere in between. Enough on that, back to the positives.

There is plenty of eye candy in this one, but the director does a great job of layering these characters and eliminating much of the typical stereotypes that usually accompany such characters. The brightest star among the supporting cast is Hilary Anderson, I dare you not to fall in love with her character. The chemistry between Brown and Anderson is electric, palpable and really what elevates this film to something much more than your typical indie fare. I'll say this, if these two ever co star in anything again, I will be first in line to pick it up.

Also of note, the score is very well done in this film. Don't turn it off too soon as the closing credit song is really darn good, wouldn't be surprised to hear that song on the radio in the near future.

Overall I give this film a strong endorsement especially given that the production team pulled this off with what is reportedly a very modest budget. Sharp storytelling coupled with very strong actors can elevate a typical low budget indie into a powerful entertainment experience and that is exactly what this film achieved. Kudos to everyone involved in this one.

Such a beautiful and intense ride! Leading man Shannon Brown does it again! He carries this film brilliantly as the main character, he forces you to feel what he feels as he makes his way on this emotional journey (and he's not too bad to look at either) He's surrounded by a strong supporting cast, most notably the female lead played beautifully (in every sense of the word) by Hilary Anderson. Their chemistry is so powerful that you forget you're watching a movie. This film was a pleasant surprise, congrats to everyone who made this happen.