Among Ravens

My first film review. I attended a screening because the producers and directors were doing a live Q&A in the theater. Also, I wanted to meet their daughter - the amazing Johnny Sequoyah - who I had "discovered" in the TV show "Believe," (even though she wasn't there for the show I attended). While most of the characters dealt with their own issues in the story, it took me a while to figure out their connections with each other. Johnny's character "Joey" is mesmerizing in all her scenes, and endearing in her bond with "Chad" - even when the rest of the characters turned against him. The staring contest between Joey and "Saul" (her real-life dad Russell Friedenberg) left me wondering why their bond was broken. There were a couple humorous bits, but I would have liked more to break the tension in the plot. Nonetheless, I did like the film, the cinematography, and especially Johnny. I look forward to seeing more films from this talented family. Thanks for coming back to Boise.

I've never reviewed a film before, but have to say something about this one. Among Ravens has a beautiful story line, incredible cinematography, and the score was magnificent! I love films about real life and relationships, so this was a perfect film for me. It was funny and beautiful and sad and lovely all at once. The dialog is smart and the characters are so believable. I particularly enjoy the storyline about the life coach, and I'm sure I'm going to be quoting Hal for years to come! It's a refreshing break from transformers and car crashes. Take a date, and enjoy a movie that will truly move you! (PS I think this movie would best be enjoyed by 30-somethings.)

This is a wonderful little gem of a movie. From the cinematography, with sweeping views of the Idaho mountains to the nuances of each character and their interaction, or better yet, their lack of interaction between one another. It shows our distance with one another and mis communications between family and friends. lost love and un fulfilled dreams yet our grasp at holding onto what little honor we have left. Finding redemption with the last hope of guiding ones life to fulfillment. If you take every moment seriously in this film you may not like it, but if you're smart enough to understand that this is a hyper state of reality and dive into the realm of our great Russian playwrights chaos and humor. this one's for you. It's important we support our independent film makers and not forget just how difficult it is to make movie. This is a story that should be told.

Everyone has some sort of relationship problem, if they are in fact in a relationship. Chad just has problems. After a while this gets tiring for me.

Another couple in the group has this peaceful, spiritual attitude I can't stand. Saturn Moon is worse than her male partner, but even she gets angry. And I enjoy it when he plays the ukulele.

In addition to the scenery, the fireworks show, and occasional comedy, the best thing for me about this movie is Joey, who occasionally narrates. Johnny Sequoyah does a great job for such a young actress, and she handles herself well among all the chaos.

Don't be fooled, though. This is far from a family film. Occasionally the sound went out when I saw it, with a character's mouth blurred. This happens frequently later on, and the words likely spoken are just garbage. When was the last time you heard the F-word used the way it was intended? I believe it is used a lot here for that purpose.

I don't know her name but the jewelry salesperson was so nice and did such a good job. But who sells a $250,000 ring in an ordinary store? Don't they sell those in fabulous places where the snooty British salesperson has his nose in the air?

I thought of something else I liked. Bikinis!

This is probably a good movie and there are some performances that are worth seeing. It just didn't do much for me.

I was drawn to Among Ravens for the cast. I am an avid Amy Smart fan and the films she picks are always ones I like. I also always love seeing an actor's debut film, and this is Johnny Sequoyah's first! These leading ladies did not disappoint. Amy's ability to get inside her character's head and depict to the audience a genuine and relatable human experience is mesmerizing to watch. Johnny's character was absolutely my favorite part of the film. Her ability to show that a child's perspective can be the most insightful and truthful left me pondering how life can affect and warp our perspective's through the years and how important it is to be reminded of how we once viewed the world. Thanks to the gorgeous cinematography, I now know how beautiful Idaho is and will definitely be planning a trip there one day! It is refreshing to see a film that is both produced and directed by Cherokee Native Americans, to see their vision and control behind the camera instead of a stereotypical portrayal of them in front of it, is truly important.