Wild Faith

Saw this movie on 3-20 with my family which includes a 9 year old grandson. We enjoyed it and thought it was awesome. DJ Perry did a fantastic job writing and acting in this epic filmed in Michigan. Two thumbs up, go see it while you can.

My whole family had been anxiously awaiting the release of this Michigan based film. It was refreshing to be a part of a movie that shared not only an excellently written story but one that shared a deep sense of values within the context of it. I was highly impressed with the quality of the production and HOPE the tv series actually comes to be! I can see why the show times were held over! I Highly recommend Wild Faith! I already want to see it again!

Started slow while introducing the characters and their patterns of behavior. But as the story developed it holds your attention. Good depiction of the preacher caught in religiosity and pain from loss. Good depiction of the challenge of racism at that time, with most people against it, but a few carried their simplistic beliefs past the war. I loved the portrayal of fear when search for the lost animal, as few have seen nor know anything about capturing such an animal. The weak point was that the the sheriff was poorly acted and characterized. Not a complicated story with plot twists and such, but a good story. Sometimes the story is more important that great acting and great directing.

Recently watched this at the Burbank Film Festival. First of all it's just not a very compelling movie. The story just doesn't really take hold of you and the acting is sub par. The protagonists clearly exhibit very modern notions of racism and inclusion, and thus are detached from any sort of realistic individuals living in the second half of the 1800's. This creates a frontier sentimentality is so overtly saccharine and conversely the antagonists are reduced to standard cardboard cut out villains. On top of that everything about the production looked rushed and shot on a very small budget. I was surprised that Wild Faith won best faith based film at the festival, until I looked back at the schedule and discovered it was the only faith based feature film in the whole festival! There were a number of faith based shorts, but without any equal competition it was easy for this mediocre story to win.

This film does well at telling a period story and tackling some larger societal issues through an anachronistic lens. Production value is good, with most of the cinematography being near the level of many big budget films. The acting is mostly on point and doesn't detract from the overall film - I would highlight the performances of Lana Wood and Dean Teaster as the most believable within the movie. While not the spectacle of an over the top blockbuster or a Spielberg film, this is a worthwhile movie deserving of your time.