Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Lawbolisted Powerful

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

theseventhstooge Like so many of the films I watch these days, I came across this gem on my Amazon Fire TV. Let me say from the outset that this film is excellent. It challenges us to accept the most difficult of questions, can someone convicted of sexually assaulting a minor be redeemable as a person. The average American would most assuredly answer in the negative, as would most convicted men and women in prison who often treat these people as the lowest of the low. It also attacks, though indirectly, a second question: can children lie? This, of course, is question that is often left unanswered due to the problems it would create.That being said, this movie does a great job of showcasing life after prison for a convicted sex offender. The characters are well thought out, their reactions are stereotypical to the reactions most of us would have. The quality of acting is superb and each actor brings their character to life in a very real way. But as is the case with most films covering a controversial topic in American film, the editors often choose a quick, no mess ending rather than playing the film out in its most realistic format. Why not spend more time attacking our perceptions of sex offenders? Instead of having that moment where offender and victim finally come together, why is it that only the victim accepts that she wasn't a victim, but a willing participant? Why does the offender not further attack the position that the victim and her dad lied about what was happening? More importantly, the relationship the offender has with a coworker feels forced, inorganic. They quickly fall in love, she finds out he is a sex offender and has the stereotypical response but in the end she comes to his rescue and the flee the city together. I would rather watch a 2 to 2 1/2 hour film that attempts to answer these questions, as I would imagine the original script did, rather than the editor's version that strives for the typical American film happy ending. For the first half of the movie, I give it a 10, but for the second half I give it a 3 and I believe the strength of the first half, the characters and the acting it the whole film deserves an 8.

josiahkwhite Politically, it's definitely controversial. That's perhaps the film's strongest point: that it'll get you thinking and talking about some important issues. It's not a bad little film at all.It is a "little" film. It has some of the same themes as a true classic like American Beauty. It's no classic, though. On the other hand, it's not easily forgettable, like most little films are.To avoid spoiling the movie, I'll try to create a good analogy. Imagine a father who gets "raped" in divorce court, losing custody of his children, even though he's a much better parent than his ex is. What if this father then kidnaps his kids, spirits them away to another state, and his kids get their pictures on "have you seen me?" milk cartons.Then imagine that the father gets arrested and charged with kidnapping. Yet the movie goes out of its way to paint him as the good guy, the innocent victim. That kind of movie would certainly anger a lot of people, wouldn't it? Hillary supporters would sure hate it.This movie isn't about divorce and custody rights. Instead, it's about an even more controversial theme, to the point where it's likely to anger Trump supporters as well. (The movie doesn't make conservative Christians look good at all.) So consider yourself warned. I like controversial movies like this, especially those which are a little ahead of their time.

ScottNichols This is a story of forgiveness and redemption about two people who made a terrible, costly mistake six years earlier in their lives, when one was a young adult and the other a minor. The flashbacks reveal that both were at fault. That mistake and the subsequent lies told by the minor and her father (a Christian pastor, by the way) cost the young man six years of his life and ostracism in his home town after his return.Contrary to the claim of another reviewer, the plot made no excuse for statutory rape. And that reviewer, while stating that the young man, a youth pastor at his church, began a sexual relationship with the 15- year-old daughter of the pastor, omitted the fact that she came on to him and that he tried to reject her advances precisely because she was under age. Yes, he kept her letters, but not because he didn't take his recovery seriously. He's a man with a heart, and he truly cared for her.The punishment he received was unjust because the girl and her father (reminder, he's a Christian pastor) lied under oath at the trial. The girl admitted that when she sought him out after he returned to the town. I'll state that again--she sought him out, not vice versa. She wanted his forgiveness.The film does not try to mitigate his crime. The film does not try in some convoluted way to blame the girls' father (again, a Christian pastor who lied under oath). The film does not contend that he's cured (I don't even know what the reviewer is referring to here). In no way did the film attempt to justify James' action. Contrary to the reviewer's claim, James did in fact try to present legal papers to his new employer, who rejected them.Perhaps this is more of a review of that reviewer than the film, but that review irritated me. I thought it was very unfair, so I wanted to respond.What made MY skin crawl was the hypocrisy of the Christian pastor. He was a real wacko. Still, I enjoyed Ray Wise's performance, as I always do--from the Devil in Reaper to a devilish pastor in Away From Here.Nick Stahl and Alicia Witt were outstanding. I highly recommend the film.

alle-64-554702 The idea and the intend is good; the process of the film is not so convincing. The storyline is consistent but you have the feeling the director was trying too hard. Good as wake-up call, but a bit weak as movie. At least the main character is strong, by the way.The film's message is very good on the other hand: the devilish mechanism of the society and the law is painted good, the bigot position of the preacher should get everyone thinking. And the case is chosen well: not everything is black and white, there is much grey between. A society getting adult should come to accept that and grow there.