Jeanskynebu
the audience applauded
RipDelight
This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
Michele Linklater
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.
jessicablum679
This is borderline almost perfect, but borderline, I wish the war scenes were a little longer, and I wanted a tad bit more exposition on Kent's relationships with The Mayor and Natalie Church. However beyond those wishes, I found the film a rather pleasurable and masterful time at the film festival where I saw the movie.Written, directed and produced by Sam Logan Khaleghi, "Approaching Midnight" tells the story of a returning Army staff sergeant Wesley Kent (Khaleghi), to a small town middle America home from serving in Afghanistan and Iraq (to make mention, Kent's character has a scene in which he refers to having served in Iraq prior to his time with his Army Captain (played by real life Army Lieutenant Matt Szymanski) in Afghanistan; Therefore, Kent has served in both international war conflicts. Upon his return, he finds out that Aspen Malverne has died recently in a car accident (this is not a major spoiler however) and he now utilizes his skills as a special forces character to find out the truth to her accident. It is at this point the film takes on an action/mystery piece to it.
james-w-lightbody
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.
tom5240
This film handles the returning war veteran subject brilliantly and distributes ample time from character development to action and back to the present from the flashbacks. I saw this film with military veterans who were members of the American Legion and sponsored this movie and we were all amazed at service it did. The Oakland Press called this film "a gripping edge of your seat thriller" and that is exactly what it was plus enthralling affection toward the subject matter. I thank the filmmakers for that. Finally there is a movie out there that deals with the reality of combat. That said, I am huge fan of movies like "Walking Tall" and "Desparado" and think the film was an interesting mix of both. The film doesn't withhold any emotions back. The funeral scene was by far the most visually arresting and riveting part of the whole picture. I thought the musical score by James Stonehouse took me right back to those experiences. The best performances in the funeral scene by far are from Michelle Lynne Balser and Bill Cobbs who plays Brandon T Jackson's father (the actor from Tropic Thunder and Fast and Furious series). On NBC News today they showed the filmmakers handing over a check with a portion of the proceeds from the theatrical box office to the American Legion, and it was such an amazingly kind act from the filmmakers and crew members of this movie as it has been brought to my attention are actual veterans, so their point of view was a brilliant epic in the consultation of this film. American Legion's official face book shown a standing ovation by 10,000 veterans as the American Legion National Convention in Houston this year who were treated to a charitable screening of this film as it was sponsored by the national American Legion out of D.C.
