Approaching Midnight

In Approaching Midnight, Sam Logan plays a 20 something special forces/ranger approved All American, and there's a scene that at a critical point that sums up this whole film and it's ambitions and thats when Wesley Kent (Sam Logan) comes back from the war and has to return his best friends locker room things to his widow (Carollette Phillips). I just rented this on the new releases at one of Nashville's last remaining video stories LOL. First off, I couldn't wait for the RedBox so it was an adventure, I saw the trailer on television and I had to just rush to the store to get it. I'm a country girl and I love Jana Kramer, her characters part in this movie is so sweet and heartwarming with her love for Wesley (Sam Logan). The opening scene is a really heartfelt date scene between the characters that sets up the whole drama of the rest of the movie. Toward the end of the film it thematically all comes back to the opening scene in an interesting way. There is a giant courtroom battle that flashes back to Jana's character Aspen. Aside from the plot of the film, the DVD itself is perfect and I enjoyed it slightly more than Heart of the Country's DVD (another movie with Jana) because Approaching Midnight's DVD does have a lot more special features with Jana in it, for example a Jana Kramer video journal in the making of, where she takes you on a tour of the set and there's fun moments with other cast members. The horseback riding scenes were so splendid, I love how they re-created a perfect country atmosphere. The filmmakers and production designers did such a good job, and the film could take place almost anywhere, that's why as they say this film could "play in peoria."

As an active military member, I can attest to the authenticity of this military drama, from the uniforms, to the production design, wardrobe design, every piece was obviously well thought out and put together. The film was part "Tears of the Sun" part "Green Zone" part "State of Play". A political intrigue that smartly utilizes modern day politics woven into action and combat. The negative reviews seem to be by people that have no respect for the American military as they were an active part in making this film realistic. The American Legion sponsored this film and the heroism of an American soldier is captured in this film perfectly. I believe Carl Ballou (who is the cinematographer) will be receiving an award tonight at the Louisville Film Festival for his work on this movie.

This film was so awesome on so many levels, I don't know where to begin. Luckily, the film is being re-released in select art house theaters this weekend, and I will make sure to watch the film at the Uptown Film Festival. The DVD is a good watch, but nothing beats watching movies like this on the big screen.

After a flashback scene which sets up the character development between Jana Kramer's lead role and Sam Logan Khaleghi's lead part, The movie opens up in the best way with an action scene that is like "Saving Private Ryan" in the middle nowhere middle/far east. Upon these two scenes there is considerably to the strategic writing of this script than meets the eye. There is the perfect truthful chat between soldier to soldier. This is an intricately engineered "art movie" with "commercial" appeal and scenes like when Brandon T. Jackson and Sam Logan Khaleghi have a dialogue moment between fight sequences is a sublime way of allowing the audience to care about the characters. Although the true fight is Kent's as he is a solitary character who must find out the truth behind the death of his girlfriend due to a car accident.

The antagonist in the movie is depicted with such threat who is Mayor Steven Malverne, that the hero of the story Staff Sergeant Kent comes full tilt in a ferocious and earth shattering perfect character driven performance. The film's action sequences get inside of you and shakes your nerves like in such anticipation that you can't wait for the next scenes to come.

I'm starting my first year of film school and let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Independent Film and when I heard this film was playing at the Louisville International Film Festival I was so glad, because i missed it in theaters during its regular limited run.

There were a slew of celebrities at the LIFF this past weekend so it was worth my ticket. The movie studio representatives were very kind who represented "Approaching Midnight" and made sure everyone got a seat, so I saw some folks in line for 'Approaching Midnight' and decided to jump in too. It was worth the wait alongside "The Wedding Pact" starring Haylie Duff which I also enjoyed. Those two pictures why my LIFF 2013 choices.

"Approaching Midnight" is great source material for independent filmmakers. The clam but action driven narrative with very detailed character descriptions from scene to scene. The amazing world that was created here by the cast and crew is measured in theatrical wonders.

The cast is stellar. A breakthrough performance by Carollette Phillips as the wife of Brandon T. Jackson's "AJ Culpepper" is flawless, and I felt for every emotional tie she gives each scene.

The film is rated PG, yet pulls off the war scenes with sweetness and the violence is not gloriously graphic for a younger audience (as a note, my little sister was with me and she liked it too).

I just got my DVD from the store today. It was in a collection of Army movies, including "Tigerland" and "Behind Enemy Lines", it was an awesome 3 package DVD set that I couldn't pass up. I couldn't wait to come home and watch "Approaching Midnight" on DVD and let me say the special features are a surefire hit! Jana Kramer has a behind the scenes tour of the set where she shows you her costumes and talks about her character and gives us a tour of the craft service table too. LOL. I am a huge country music fan, and I saw Jana live in concert, she's a wonderful musician but an even better actress. In the film her character is so gentle and sweet, yet fiery and emotional that the love story works and when the love triangle is made when adding Michelle Balser's character of Natalie into the mix, it creates some on screen chemistry in a frustratingly amazing way. Not to mention, Mia Serafino's amazing performance as a daddy's girl who believes her father no matter what the cost to the rest of her town. She reminded me of a young I really enjoyed the villains in the movie as well, because they were humanized and we really felt bad for a couple of them. I give it a 9 out of 10.