Wake Before I Die

With "Wake Before I Die,"The Brothers Freeman have crafted a great faith-based suspense drama, not straight out of Hollywood, but straight from the heart of Oregon. The film, based on their father's book, is the sometimes rambling story of a small town preacher and his family - filled with great expectations - as they move into a new parish. Early on, Pastor Dan (Robert McKeehen) is warned that the town is strange and he may not make it out alive. The question is - Why? With all the expectations that preface sets up, we begin a journey with Pastor Dan, his wife (Aubrey Walker) and their two children as they get acquainted with the town, where everything appears as normal and All-American as apple pie (at least on the surface). But when one of Dan's parishioners asks the Pastor to take in his teen age daughter (Nouel Riel), things take a definite turn toward the weird (after all, Portland is famous for its streak of weird). But as one who has admired the work of the Brothers Kendrick ("Fireproof" and "Face the Giants") I can say without any hesitation, this Freeman Brothers film stands tall in the faith based arena. Their direction is organic. Performances from the large cast of Oregon actors are polished and believable. And the cinematography (also by the Brothers Freeman) serves the story faithfully. What does the film have to do with Rosemary's Baby? You'll have to see it to find out. But rest assured, this is one suspense drama you'll be able to take the whole family to see. Rated G for God Darn Good Fun.

I guess the bottom line always is "would you pay money to see this", and that's why I'm scoring this movie so incredibly low, because I sure wouldn't. I saw it at a private screening at the Bagdad Theater in Portland, and if I didn't know some of the people there, I would've left way before it was over. It's just way too long guys and maybe you should hire a professional editor and cut at least 45 minutes out of it or include an intermission. It just goes on and on without any real point to it and I'm sorry to say the acting isn't all that great either that people would want to watch them that long on the screen. There have to be better film directors than this in Portland or we're all doomed. Sorry, but that's my two cents.

To say this movie is not for everyone would be an understatement. As stated in other reviews it definitely takes its time telling the story and that in and of itself explains my point. Some people like quickly paced fast cutting movies that are quirky and off the wall. I do as well... But this is not one of those movies. This movie is an old school throwback to times when a shot could hold on a screen for more than 5 seconds and indulge in the awesome faces of the incredible cast and I really dug it. I think the filmmakers did a great job telling a faith based story... That doesn't pander to "Christians" or "non- Christians" but instead focuses on an universally terrifying story with great characters that just happen to be Christians. Can't wait to see where these guys go from here!

I went to Wake Before I Die with very high hopes. There are very few Portland films that acquire a budget, so I was curious to see how this feature turned out. Sadly the whole experience was a major let down. For a film with a budget, it looks very cheap. No attention to lighting, simple camera set ups, mediocre editing. Luckily there were several solid performances turned in by Prosser, McKeehen and a few others. My main problem with Wake was how dull it was. Portland seems to have an obsession with slow dramatic pieces. Dramas can be dramatic and still entertaining. This was not. Entertainment value seems to be something lost on the film world of Portland. Pieces like the clever Forge, the entertaining One Foot in the Gutter or the impressive feat James vs Reality sit on the sidelines while budgets are handed out to films like this one which have no mass appeal beyond the local film crowd.

When I saw this film at the premiere (Bagdad theater Portland OR) I didn't know much about what I was going to see however I must admit I had certain expectations. This is because "Wake Before I Die" was the fourth independent feature premiere I attended at the same theater within the last six months so naturally, being an enthusiast of local, low budget film I was comparing them. I do not know anyone affiliated with the production of the film however I was aware of the budget and that it was over twenty times that of the previous three films I had seen there. I can honestly say without exaggerating that it was one of the biggest let downs I have ever encountered in a movie theater. If they had charged me money, I would have asked for it back, it would have been the first time. The most positive thing I can truthfully say about the film is among the muck there were a few stand out performances by some of the leads especially the children. It's too bad that these performances do not even come close to out weighing the boredom, the incoherency, the lack of editing, the first semester film school lighting, the grating music, the uninspired photography.. to name just a few problems I had with the film. I've seen better films produced on a budget of unemployment and food stamps. Seriously. My girlfriend and I did our best to pay attention throughout the excruciating run time and discussed what we thought it was about and neither of us could articulate a plot line we agreed on. We decided that we both agreed that no matter what it was, we didn't care. Portland currently has a vibrant, close knit, budding film community that just needs a few good staples to really catch the eye of the rest of the world. This film is not one of them, and I think honesty in the reviews is very important so there can be an accurate spectrum to judge other creative works within the city's film scene. (note that the ten star review above this one was made months before it's release).