Judas Kiss

Amazingly Dorothy Parker said of a young Katharine Hepburn:"She runs the gamut of emotions from A to B." Luckily Ms. Parker died before Charlie David gave acting a shot since his gamut doesn't stretch that far.

Unfortunately in this film he played the lead character, Zach Wells, and could only over-act one emotion, petulant drama queen. Most of the younger actors turned in reasonably good performances, but Charlie seemed to cast a creepy pall over every scene in which he appeared.

As another person who reviewed the movie mentioned, it was refreshing to have a film with a gay presence that didn't focus on someone coming out or coping with all the baggage of being gay in a hostile world. That saved this sophomoric effort from being a complete waste of time, but the stiff, uncomfortable performances by almost all the older actors and their constipated dialogue delivered in a preachy, robotic manner made most of the movie a painful experience.

Hopefully the actors who played Danny, Abbey, Shane and Chris will be able to build on what I assume was the start of their acting careers and hopefully Charlie David and the others, who spent the film performing like they were reading their lines for the first time, haven't given up their day jobs.

Sometimes we wait too long before we get serious about our careers. Sometimes we start with everything and fall into a hole. What if that happened to you and you had the opportunity to go back and change something in the past that would alter your future?

While some people seem thrown by the premise, this is a fantasy and so it has it own rules which it follows scrupulously, if you watch closely enough to discover what they are.

Zack returns to his Alma Mater to judge a film festival when his close friend Topher is unable to attend. There's a shimmer on the invitation when he opens the envelope that is barely noticeable. As he pulls onto campus he looks up and the clock tower shimmers for a moment.

After settling into his digs for the weekend, a dorm room, he goes out to find the towns gay bar where he's attacked by a really cute boy, who sneaks out of his room in the morning. Later that day he is confronted by the same boy in the interview session for the film makers who are vying for this years prize.

The actors are very convincing, particularly the two young film makers, Danny and Chris, as they explore a potential romance. Chris, portrayed by Sean Paul Lockhart, is especially convincing as a former innocent who doesn't want to get involved in a possible triangle.

The underlying tension that revolves around who might win the festival and what will happen to Danny's film is particularly engaging. As the story develops we grow more concerned about the decisions Zach will have to make.

This film has been enjoyed by many audiences across the country at this point, receiving a resounding ovation at the screening I attended.

I saw Judas Kiss at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August, 2011. Aside from some technical issues on the festival's part, I really enjoyed this film and am looking forward to getting my copy. I can't help but believe that I will pick up on more symbolism each time I watch it! It was also great to see a piece Of work from Gay Cinema that could break the boundaries of the genre and work well in mainstream film festivals like RIIFF!

The characters were entertaining and thought provoking, and the writing made me snicker and laugh throughout while still keeping me enthralled during dramatic poignant moments. The cinematography was gorgeous, rich in color and well composed.

I'm not always a fan of magical realism, as many films don't do it justice, but Judas Kiss ranks up there with Across the Universe in my mind! Unlike the later, it was based more in reality (or perhaps alternate reality), which created a great escape without going too far outside of the boundaries as we think of them.

Great soundtrack as well!

Without writing spoilers, let's just say the entire premise of this mess is completely unbelievable, specifically because there is no explanation given as to WHY or HOW such a time-leap could happen. Yes, there is definitely something about "second chances" that makes us all wonder "what if?" But this was just too arrogantly concocted and executed (as if we're just supposed to swallow it all at face-value...and if not, then we're just not "cool enough" to get it). I honestly can't think of one good reason to watch this.

It's extremely refreshing to see a film touted as an LGBT film where story and character are the focus. It's not a coming of age story, a coming out story, or a story where character sexuality takes the main stage. It is merely a story who's characters happen to be gay. And a decent story as well. I enjoyed watching the narrative boldly and apologetically unfold. It doesn't waste time trying to explain what strange phenomenon is going on, it just marches forward.

Technically, I found the cinematography very well done. The soundtrack is good. Fx subtle. Direction well done. The performances mixed, but overall I felt the main cast did very well. At times, I felt the pacing was a bit off, but that is just a personal opinion. I feel Judas Kiss is worth your time and I hope many get to experience it. Looking forward to the DVD release so I can experience it again!