Wild Faith

My husband and I saw this movie at Celebration Cinema in Lansing, Michigan. We LOVED it! Well written, engaging and the actors were incredible! Now I want to take our children to see it! It was so nice to see a wholesome, family film on the big screen for a change. 10 big starts from us! Can't wait to buy the DVD!!

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.

I love the read the reviews of these small indie films. The first thirty or so, sometimes as much as fifty or seventy-five, are all friends and, family of the cast, crew, producers and the like. You will even find reviews from people of whatever small town they shot most of it in. (It's so much easier to get permits to shoot from little communities than big cities.) The reviews are usually overflowing in their praise, sometimes to the extent that you might feel a little ill from consuming that much sugary puff. (But just like cotton candy, once you actually watch the movie for yourself, you realize there isn't much substance at all.) Now, if the reviews stop after the initial premiere, that too is a telling aspect. (I think you can figure out just what it does "tell" all by yourself.) Occasionally, you find a review from someone like me, who seems to revel in the obscure, who enjoys finding these rare films. So I submit to you that I need not discuss the plot, or the acting, or even the cinematography. Previous reviews have told you how absolutely wonderful, amazing, heartbreaking, this movie is. Instead I simply give it two stars. Two, because just completing a movie, good or bad, deserves credit in itself. Beyond that, however, the stars must be earned.