Neo Ned

I just saw this at the AIFF (Ashland Independent Film Festival) and all I can say it WOW! Jeremy Renner should get an academy award for this role. All the actors were great but Jeremy's performance was beyond outstanding. Apparently, this film is still awaiting distributors to get it out into theaters. Maybe all of us who have seen it should pool our resources, open a film distribution company, and buy it and market it ourselves! It was very well received today in Ashland Oregon and the spectators were glad to have a Q&A session with the director. He did state that the film had been very well received in each location that it screened with only a few folks walking out before the finish. To those who walked out, you really missed out.

I just saw this movie at the Ashland Independent Film Festival and it was amazing. The acting was top notch, the script great, the story interesting and compelling. It was absolutely hilarious and heartwarming, while maintaining that rare sense of reality. It was all around a good quality movie. Don't let the scary and twisted plot outline throw you off, the movie is about so much more. Gabrielle Union and Jeremy Renner had great chemistry on screen and they both did well in their respected roles. I would highly recommend this film to anyone and I would love to see it hit theaters nationwide. The rest of the audience I saw it with enjoyed it as much as I did. Afterward there was a Q&A session with Van Fischer the director, one of the producers and one of the actresses, it was pretty awesome. again, highly recommend, go see it when it comes near you, you wont be disappointed.

-Dooder

I was able to see this film at the Tribeca Film Festival last week and walked away incredibly impressed with Jeremy Renner. I'd seen him in Dahmer so expected another good performance, but was truly blown away. The Village Voice compared his performance to DeNiro's in Taxi Driver and I can see why. Gabrielle Union was also good - this film is nothing like her previous work. I admire her for playing this part and also for defending her decision to do so. I think the director Van Fischer should be commended for spotting this interesting screenplay, having the vision to create such a compelling story of love, and being able to make it actually happen. If you like quirky romances, this film will satisfy you and then some.

This is the best work I have seen Jeremy Renner do. I didn't think he could top his performance in "Dahmer" but this performance is even more exceptional - powerful, humane and heartbreaking. Gabrielle Union who plays opposite Renner's "Ned," is equally good, and it as much her character's story as it is Ned's. I don't want to reveal any "spoilers" but suffice to say, this is an unpredictable movie with a lot of unexpected surprises. I hope this film gets a bigger release, as it is really a movie that might change peoples' minds about prejudice and how love can heal the most wounded of hearts. And it's a good example of how an independent movie with a low budget can outshine a summer full of cookie cutter blockbusters. This film isn't perfect but there is an earnestness that is refreshing. It's an uncynical piece of work. Kind of rare in Hollywood.

On paper it sounds pretty far-fetched: neo nazi skinhead falls in love with a black girl in a mental institution - who may or may not think she is possessed by Hitler's ghost. Wow. But somehow it works. There is a surprisingly healthy dose of and humor - and heart - which makes this story palatable and involving, rather than just unrelentingly grim. The actors are sturdy throughout - Gabrielle Union proves she's not such a pretty face - I wish Hollywood would take better advantage of her; she is an actress of depth and true beauty. Jeremy Renner proves that his work in "Dahmer" (rather than in mainstream fare like, say, "S.W.A.T.") was no fluke. He is amazing. When Sally Kirkland gets a role of substance, as she does here, it becomes clear why she's been kicking around Hollywood for so long. She's terrific. Good work also by Steve Railsback and Cary Elwes. The budget on this one is low, but it is more involving and entertaining than a lot of other stuff that's playing in the multiplexes. 8/10.