Seventeen-year-old Randy tries very hard to be a good person. Since his father left, Randy takes care of his emotionally disturbed mother, and he's the kind of friend all of his classmates can depend on. As strong as he seems on the outside, Randy is hiding a secret inner struggle and denial of his true self. It's not until he opens himself up to love that he discovers that becoming a man means accepting who you really are.
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The Age of Commercialism
One of my all time favorites.
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Blackbird (2014) is an independent film about a young African American male who is struggling to reconcile his sexual orientation with his devout Christian faith. There are both positives and negatives about this film. I'll start with the positives. The acting was mostly good, especially from Mo'Nique, who I fell in love with as a dramatic actress with Precious, which was her Oscar win. She is just a really great actress and she nails every scene she is in. She is a hard character to like a lot of the time, but Mo'Nique really does do a fantastic job of portraying her. The main character is played by an actor that I personally think needs some more experience in acting, he wasn't bad but I just think he could've been better. The story is interesting and the teenage characters are pretty likable for the most part, that is what kept me watching. It isn't the best, there were some parts where I felt the feeling was lacking, but then in other scenes, I could really connect with the film. It's a mixed bag really, 7/10.
And a big part of why I couldn't like it was how poor the acting was. Every single actor. Not a good acting job in the whole movie. It was all so...stilted. I wish I could explain what I am saying. I mean BAD! Truly some of the worst I've ever seen. The cinematography was great. Really first rate. Sets were good. Costumes good. Soundtrack only one step down from great. But that acting! It was either over the top, or not near enough. Never once did the characters make me believe they were real. Randy, the man character, was terrible. I mean really, really bad. I don't even think it was the directing. I don't think he could be good. I feel bad saying this—but he really was terrible (I hope he doesn't read this). Marshall, a possible love interest for the hero, was almost there—but they made him use a very fake southern accent that just ruined it. Especially when he kept forgetting to use it and because no one else had an accent. So why him?POSSIBLE spoiler here...There was also this ridiculous sequence of wet dreams where Randy was constantly having to wash his sheets the next morning. But he was wearing flannel boxers, so I can't figure out how he was messing up the sheets. One scene he was fully dressed and woke up and had to change the sheets—even though he didn't have to change his pants!There was a lot more that made no sense. The hero's little sister vanished six years before and he ties yellow ribbons on branches in his tree to remember her. But he gets the ribbons from a paper box in the garden that somehow has magickally stayed brand new and white. Does it not rain where this movie took place? Or one character gets an STD and asks Randy to look at his penis, right in the front yard of his house. They wouldn't at least step around back?I checked this site thinking it would be filled with reviews that slammed this picture and I was shocked at the high, high ratings. I feel bad about saying this, but I am betting they are either fake or are written by relatives and friends of the stars. One person said, "There are a few scenes that are definitely a tear jerker!" Did we see two different movies? I got to the end without seeing a single tear-jerker scene. The acting was so poor I never believed in the characters, couldn't get emotionally invested in them, and therefore be effected by anything that might have been tear-worthy.Was it the script? Maybe. It is hard to tell. I don't know if the movie would have been any better with actors with above freshman in high school acting abilities had gotten a chance to play the parts.Poor, poor movie.
Great movie overall, although the acting could have been a bit better at certain intervals. The ending with the dream/visions still has me really confused me though. However, I think that this particular movie stood out due to the fact that its more of a modern day film with a plot that revolves around a young African-American male who's struggling with his sexuality & religion. And a lot of people (in a similar scenario) who watch it can connect to the story a lot more than the regular audience. But I'm just here for the soundtrack, can anyone tell me when it will be out? Or what the name of the song is thats playing during Marshal & Randys sex scene? I've tried to Google the lyrics & shazam but still have come across anything.-Thanks in advance
How in all of hell did this get only a 5!? I absolutely loved this film! loved the characters, the REAL sense of feeling, everything.Just like others the rating put me off a bit but i still decided to watch, and I will never regret doing so. It was heart warming, heart breaking, kept you in place as you watched everything unravel in a fantastic string of events that led to an ending that confuses your heart and emotions in the best way possible. I have no doubt that if anyone were to ask me to recommend a movie to get there heart working and there emotions running high this would be my first pick. I know many wouldn't look twice at it because of the gay theme to it but that shouldn't deter you from watching something so well produced.
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