StanleyDWilliamsPhD

Shot mostly on location in India this is the story of an America young man who helps a Hindu father recover his daughter whom he has been forced to sell (unknowingly) into sex slavery. NOT TODAY is in the same genre as TAKEN (2008) and SOUND OF FREEDOM (2023). But when you consider that NOT TODAY had 10% of SOF's budget, and 6% of TAKEN's budget, NOT TODAY comes out as a terrific movie. Yes, TAKEN is the relentless thriller, much like INDIAN JONES: THE DIAL OF DESTINY, that the backers of SOUND OF FREEDOM claimed to beat on opening day. (A lie). As noble as any movie is that exposes the sex trade (which all three above do), SOF is boring, NT is authentic, TAKEN is thrilling, but IJ:TDOD beats hands down as a box office coupe. Of course, IJ:TDOD is not about the sex trade. I only bring it up because SOF backers were claiming to have beat it at the BO. They didn't by a factor of 60:14 on opening day, and by the end of the weekend, it looks to be like 249:21. NOT TODAY is also valued because as a faith film (which I typically dislike) it didn't preach. It just showed rawly the situation and let you make up your mind. Hats off to Jon VanDyke who worked very hard to get it done without much support.

My friend and accomplished international writer-director of many decades, Cristobal Krusen, has just released a very personal and loving film about the mental illness that has entrapped his son, Daniel, for most of his son's life. For years I received Cris' sensitive and insightful newsletters that chronicled the ups and downs of the father and son's struggle with Daniel's schizophrenia.

Many of us encouraged Cris to make a film about the often tragic but always hopeful life he endured. At one point Cris sent me the script for notes. Finally, Cris has done it, with numerous awards and accolades. We loved the film and Cris' artistry in telling a very emotional and difficult story. The film is not a documentary, but a fictional narrative of the very real and often emotional journey of a father searching for his son lost in mental illness.

A delight for those of us who are Cris' fans is that for the first time Cris is both IN FRONT of the camera as well as directing. For most of the film he plays himself as the fictional father of Benny, the fictional Daniel. Great directing and acting, beautifully lensed by Michigan's Richard Brauer of Travelers City.

Read KobusAdAstra's good review. It's accurate. This film is a dramatic narrative from an original script. It's not a contrived nature film. The cinematography is breathtaking. The acting good, the gold eagles amazing.