Little Chenier

well done non-Hollywood movie which seem to be so rare these days.

it is a story about two brothers, one with a mental problem, the other one with a big heart and the will to do anything to protect his handicapped brother.

the scenery is really beautiful and i hope the environment can catch up after the horrible impact of hurricane Katrina.

the portray of the Cajun people and culture was very interesting to watch on screen.

the final scene is excellent and left me speechless for a minute.

i hope this movie does well on DVD, because it deserves it.

The story has a few twist and turns that I didn't expect and overall it was great to see a film made in Louisiana about something besides New Orleans. That said, I worry that anyone outside of Louisiana seeing this film may think we all run around in flat bottom boats and wrestle alligators for fun. Yes, there are a few people like these left near where my family and I live, but they are disappearing as fast as the marshland on the Louisiana coast! The setting for the film is in Cameron Parish along the banks of the Mermentau River. The film doesn't cast the Cameron Parish Sheriff's office in a very good light, but it is a good story and it was told well in the film. There was a scene in the film of a pig roast and crawfish's boil to celebrate a wedding. The food, drink, music and dancing looked and sounded like many a Saturday night in South Louisiana. Little Chenier is a remote place where everyone knows everyone and is a true community in every sense of the word. It was great to see that sense of community come through in the film.

Actually, I would give this movie an 8.5 out of 10 if I could. It is a dramatic thriller set in the bayous of Louisiana. Two young brothers run a floating bait shop, abandoned by their mother, and neglected by their father-a drunk who is often absent. An attack on local livestock leads the sheriff and his son to question the younger brother, Pimot, who is mentally retarded. I can't go into more details about the excellent story, but will comment that this is an interesting movie for many reasons. All the dialog was done with convincing Cajun accents. I also liked the treatment of Pimot by the "good" characters. It really impressed me. They didn't talk down to him but treated him in a friendly manner and simply respected his limitations.

There is rarely a movie that accurately portrays Louisiana, a feat that "Little Chenier" achieved with charm and respect. The story is one of great love, responsibility, patience, and loyalty with songs that are sure to stir you. And if the music doesn't conjure up any emotions in you, the story certainly will with an ending that has viewers leaving the theater in awe.

I think this was a beautiful story and that the characters were very believable in their roles. The dialect was authentic in conjunction with the captivating scenery. It was able to truly represent many of the areas treasured by southern Louisiana locals. It is great to have these landmarks that were destroyed by Hurricane Rita preserved on film.

I was very surprised by this independent film, what some would not consider great performances because the characters don't speak very eloquently, I couldn't disagree more. The point is to make them act and sound like people from the deep south who live on the bayou, how do you think they talk? For a lower budget film the cinematography was great, some of that just comes from a good location choice, but some of the shots combined with great music through out were amazing. The film does a great job of building tension for events you can feel are inevitable but at the same times gives you an unpredictable ending. I'm glad I fell upon this film, it always irritates me though thinking of how many little films like this that slip right by me and tons of others because they're not done by a bigger studio. I mean if I barely hear about it then most people will miss it completely, and that's a shame.