I Am Michael

I stumbled onto this, having never heard of Michael Glatze. As an atheist and gay man, I was intrigued to learn about this story (and kind of embarrassed to have known nothing about him already).

The performances, especially James Franco's, were excellent. He was utterly believable in expressing Glatze's changes over the course of the film - ironically enough, as mesmerizing to watch as he was in "Milk".

Yeah, parts of the film kind of drag. But the script and the acting are well done. Many of the actors do a great job conveying emotions and characters' motivations just as well non-verbally as through the dialogue. Being a gay man and an atheist I still fundamentally, profoundly disagree with Glatze's views....but this movie helped me understand him better.

I truly can't figure out why James Franco and Zac Quinton, of all people, wanted to make this movie. A big problem for me is the writing, which is clunky, and the choppy structure. I never felt emotionally engaged enough to develop any empathy or understanding. Michael remains a mystery, a tragedy, and a bit of a monster to me.

I Am Michael is a movie based on a true story about Michael Glatze, a gay activist who apparently turned straight. It stars James Franco, Emma Roberts and Zachary Quinto. Unsurprisingly, this movie caused a lot of controversy. But the movie is just so forgettable.

This is one of the best roles of James Franco that I've seen and Quinto did a pretty good job too. Actually, the acting in this film is pretty good in general. But the script and the direction are what causes problems. It's like they are not really sure what story they wanted to tell, what message they wanted to show. They make a movie with this subject, but then again, it's like they couldn't decided if they wanted to show Michael happy in his new life or no. So you really don't know what is going on. I guess they didn't want to take sides, but hey, this movie was bound to cause some controversy, so why bother? And when the movie ends, not much really sticks with you and you forget a lot about it eventually.

This movie did featured some talent, but what ruined it was bad decisions by the writers and a bland direction combined with cinematography that just makes the movie look kinda boring. I say skip on this one.

This film tells the story of a prominent gay activist who found God, and subsequently he decides to openly renounce the gay lifestyle, and go to bible school.

"I Am Michael" starts off rather shockingly, as James Franco's character tells a young man that he should choose to be heterosexual in order to be closer to God. Watching a film with such a content in a gay and lesbian film festival surely makes viewers gasp in disbelief! The film then continues the development of James' character, from being very embracing the gay lifestyle to renouncing it. Many anti gay comments are voiced, and more gasps of exasperation were made. Three are clues as to whether James'character really got converted or not, which is the pro gay undertone of the story. So on a deeper level, the story is really about exposing the farce of the ex-gay phenomenon, rather than being anti gay.

I approached this move with curiosity, I knew the story wouldn't please me, but the unpleasantness and the challenging of it, ( would it defy my beliefs or ideas?, would it reveal me something new, unknown? or would I just learn something, whatever...?) plus the main actors, so gay friendly, and therefore unlikely to act in a biased, bad or religious preaching movie, drove me to watch it.

I expected the sad story of a gay activist abducted by religious beliefs..... and that's what it is: a gay man in which the fear for his own death and the afterlife, the search for a sort rock of stability and reconciliation with a dodgy conception, a misrepresentation, of the idea god, leads him to buy all the christian made up merchandise about it.

I like the even, unbiased approach, showing the conversion in an objective and balanced manner but I find it too plane, sometimes boring, I miss a deeper approach to the psychology of that process, and a bit more challenge of the christian ideas and faulty reasoning that wreak havoc in Glatze's mind by the other characters in the movie.

The answer to the questions I started with is a cold NO.

My view on M. Glatze personal conversion story: I understand the fear of death and the longing for and afterlife, but and adult, empiric, scientific and properly reasoning and educated mind should know and be aware of a few things:

1.- Nobody knows anything about god. God has never spoken to any human being no matter how many of those men claimed so, because they could never prove it. If god wanted to communicate with us he/she/it certainly would have many blunt ways to do so: showing in the sky like Woody allen's mom, or in any other direct manner. So, until it can be proven, beyond doubt, in a scientific way, his existence can NOT be asserted. 2.- The Bible is NOT god's word, but man's word speculating about God's nature and plans with the huge ignorance of the times it was written. this is so obvious that is almost shameful having to say it.

3.- The idea of salvation and the promise of the afterlife is an old trick of all religions to impose fear and gather power and money from people. Selling salvation is a lucrative business, especially since they sell a good or service they don't have to pay spend any money in, and for which they can no be held accountable if is not delivered. Amazon delivery policies and regulations are way more advanced and fair than this.

I seriously recommend

• the videos and books of Richard Dawkins, like God delusion,
• and the experience of Daniel Everett, a missionary that lost faith to Amazonian tribe Piraha.