Laços de Coragem

My husband and I saw this movie at Celebration Cinema in Lansing, Michigan. We LOVED it! Well written, engaging and the actors were incredible! Now I want to take our children to see it! It was so nice to see a wholesome, family film on the big screen for a change. 10 big starts from us! Can't wait to buy the DVD!!

Recently watched this at the Burbank Film Festival. First of all it's just not a very compelling movie. The story just doesn't really take hold of you and the acting is sub par. The protagonists clearly exhibit very modern notions of racism and inclusion, and thus are detached from any sort of realistic individuals living in the second half of the 1800's. This creates a frontier sentimentality is so overtly saccharine and conversely the antagonists are reduced to standard cardboard cut out villains. On top of that everything about the production looked rushed and shot on a very small budget. I was surprised that Wild Faith won best faith based film at the festival, until I looked back at the schedule and discovered it was the only faith based feature film in the whole festival! There were a number of faith based shorts, but without any equal competition it was easy for this mediocre story to win.

I love the read the reviews of these small indie films. The first thirty or so, sometimes as much as fifty or seventy-five, are all friends and, family of the cast, crew, producers and the like. You will even find reviews from people of whatever small town they shot most of it in. (It's so much easier to get permits to shoot from little communities than big cities.) The reviews are usually overflowing in their praise, sometimes to the extent that you might feel a little ill from consuming that much sugary puff. (But just like cotton candy, once you actually watch the movie for yourself, you realize there isn't much substance at all.) Now, if the reviews stop after the initial premiere, that too is a telling aspect. (I think you can figure out just what it does "tell" all by yourself.) Occasionally, you find a review from someone like me, who seems to revel in the obscure, who enjoys finding these rare films. So I submit to you that I need not discuss the plot, or the acting, or even the cinematography. Previous reviews have told you how absolutely wonderful, amazing, heartbreaking, this movie is. Instead I simply give it two stars. Two, because just completing a movie, good or bad, deserves credit in itself. Beyond that, however, the stars must be earned.

This film does well at telling a period story and tackling some larger societal issues through an anachronistic lens. Production value is good, with most of the cinematography being near the level of many big budget films. The acting is mostly on point and doesn't detract from the overall film - I would highlight the performances of Lana Wood and Dean Teaster as the most believable within the movie. While not the spectacle of an over the top blockbuster or a Spielberg film, this is a worthwhile movie deserving of your time.

My first criteria for a good movie is if I would watch it again. I would. It's a visual feast. Some shots -- fog lifting, river moving, oak forests, a few close-in drone shots -- really spotlighted the beauty of the area. It was almost meditation for me to watch that in a darkened theatre, and it helped a good movie take its time, even as the story moved forward at a good pace. Good acting -- loved Emmet and his kindness and his pain and his subtle facial expressions. Loved watching him split wood! I felt like I know a lot of guys like him, and the people around me in the theatre said the same (we talked about it after). Fantastic work by Hester the Ojibway woman. As a baby boomer, I was happy to see the famous Lana Wood in this movie. The bad guys were not stock evil (except maybe the sheriff). Mostly they were scary and goofy at the same time, which makes them more interesting to me. Good writing -- fun lines to remember. I felt I understood why the characters found themselves in each other's lives, thanks to the right amount and timing of flashbacks. Civil War flashbacks also very, very good. I'm a native rural Michigander, and this movie being so "Michigan" made it even more of a pleasure to watch. Bravo and brava to all involved.