Rainbow Time

This film manages to explore some difficult issues without being depressing or condescending.

The main character, Shonzi is developmentally delayed and he uses the sympathy this often evokes in others, as a weapon to manipulate them.

This is a challenging film to make fun, enjoyable and positive but Linas Phillips, the director and writer (who plays Shonzi), succeeds in doing so.

The film provides good insight into the challenges faced by Shonzi and those around him, but it avoids being tub thumping and over-emotional. The characters and the audience are treated as adults; sexuality and disability are explored with confidence and realism.

I tend to see films that explore "issues", as educational rather than entertaining. But this is different. It is entertaining but I also felt I had effortlessly learned something new by the end of the film.

As someone who has worked with people with multiple different disabilities for years, situations of a sexual nature often come up and it's never easy or comfortable to deal with. People with mental disabilities especially developmental disabilities don't understand and process things the same and to them it's almost a childlike game that they want to try to understand and they feel like they are left out of so it's of they're inquisitive nature to try to figure out an experiment. So to have a movie revolve around people with developmental disabilities and sexual a sexual premise, is already something that should be handled very carefully because of the sensitive nature for everyone involved, it's no laughing matter and shouldn't be handled as such but also it can be a learning tool but doesn't have to be handled in a cold and sterile environment either. As in back in the 80s when there was a very beautiful movie to which the Name Escapes Me but it was all about a theater group comprised people with developmental disabilities mainly Down syndrome who we're not expected to succeed and ended up putting on a gigantic show of Liberace songs to critical acclaim! That's the type of movie that can make a difference and be entertaining at the same time.

This movie was deeply disturbing making my skin crawl! It's about two brothers, and the one brother obviously has Down syndrome but I missed the split-second where it was completely explained what they were saying happened to him in birth but I did hear several Times Square the other brother mentioned that he ran over his head with a car of all things! And so there's a deep-seated resentment between the two brothers. But back and forth the brother with the developmental disability is a Peeping Tom and videotapes sexual encounters between his brother and his brothers girlfriends! But what's worse is the brother without any issues developmentally actually is able to perform better knowing that his brother is watching! Now that's some real sexual deviance. His girlfriend is still married and going through a divorce her husband shows up with literally a beer can in his hand drunk as a skunk to the divorce proceedings it refuses to divorce her unless she proclaims that she cheated on him. The brother with developmental disabilities draws dirty pictures of their underage niece in a bikini. But the absolute worst thing is when they're making these Home Videos between the two brothers and the dad and they take a samurai sword and pretend to cut the dad's penis off and the dad hands them a strap-on and then they go outside to a park and the one brother drops his drawers and he's got some sort of leggings on with black strings and the other brother with developmental disabilities gets down on his knees and pretends to perform fellatio on his brother right there in the park to try to revive the strap on that was the fathers penis that he was attaching to his brother! They called it mouth-to-mouth! I was in shock! This movie is completely vile! I mean it's borderline porn! I'm really in disbelief that it's on Netflix! I thought I was sitting down to a feel good if not educational Style movie and I got none of the above. I wish there was something below 1 star. I highly recommend you avoid this movie!

Rainbow Time begins as a pretty lighthearted comedy with some dramatic elements. The second half relies more on drama with some minor comedic elements. The first half is more successful, but it still works overall. The characters and plot are off-beat and keep the viewer interested enough to want to see how the characters develop throughout.

The film relies heavily on the acting ability of the three leads. Luckily, all three perform excellently and play their roles almost flawlessly. Rainbow Time does not try to be something it's not - it tells a pretty simple story about some simple people with common problems. If you like any of the lead actors, give it a shot.

Seeing the 'Duplass Brothers Productions' flash on the screen before the film stirs up more excitement for me than when I see A24. Film... TV... They have their hands in the weirdest, most obscure productions that leave a massive imprint on the world of Celluloid. Love em or Hate em, they always make me feel something and they always come correct with the originality. Great work here!

Linas Phillips directs, produces, writes... Turning one of those 'uncomfortable truths' in life, that we admittedly love so much, into something organic and introspective. This film somehow escaped my radar, as I was extremely surprised to see the 2016 Release Date on a film that popped up on ISIA in 2018. This definitely feels like a must see!!! Hopefully 'Rainbow Time' finds it's rightful audience sooner than later!

I don't usually "hate" movies, but this is one of them. I hated all of the manipulation from the older brother towards his girlfriend and brother. His brother may have some kind of disability - never really explained other than having him having his head being rolled over by his brother when he (brother) backed out of his driveway. The BROTHER was the truly sick one. He seemed to have no remorse over damaging his brother so seriously. The satanic brother's girlfriend tried to be amenable throughout but she represents the standard trope of a very naïve and well... stupid woman. I hated all the characters in this film and I cannot find one redeeming quality to this show. Even the father turned out to be a sick SOB. Awful, awful. UGH!