Blackbird (2014)

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.

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Oh dear...what a mess this is. A case of a good enough cast let down by a truly inept script. This film is all over the place. Appalling character development (or lack of it), coupled with an overdose of melodrama and dialogue that is truly cringe-worthy, lead to an embarrassment of a film. With so few films speaking with a black voice, let alone a Gay one, expectations were high for ' Blackbird' but this hysterical nonsense just leaves the viewer wondering WTF???! This film has the feel of a film-school graduate's first effort, which is not a criticism if they come up with the goods, as many do,...but not in this case. There's way too many concepts fighting each other for space here- religious fundamentalism, homophobia, mental health issues, abortion, family dysfunction, missing child syndrome, coming out and more. There's promise enough to hope for a better effort next time. Until then, this one is a bird that will never fly...regardless of its colour.

Bri-li-ant!I am so happy to see this movie! I am not very surprised to see it got only 5.5 as I learned not to take seriously IMDb's ratings. Indeed, a lot of people who rate on IMDb seem to love action movies with a lot of special effects. I almost never watch these kind of movies. Also people are so conditioned to watch a certain kind of screening, they're not used to diversity. The kind of grain, the kind of music, the kind of angle, all these things are quite the same in box-office movies. But here you have something different, something real. I love in this movie how there are so many moments without music, where you can be with the people as they think as they feel. I love that there was no brighty shiny filter on this movie, so when you see people in their home, it feels like you see your own home, when you see an hospital entrance, it feels like you're seeing an hospital entrance from where you really live. I love that Isaiah is back to say once again that he was not against T R Knight and to show that in this business it's really better to be White than Black, because when you are White you can get away with saying worse things than what a Black person might say. I love that Mo'nique is such a phenomenal actress who made me feel really that she lost someone and couldn't get on with life without that someone and I love that she respects herself so much that she did this indie movie rather than sell her soul to the business. I love that this movie talked about the great John Cassavetes. That man did some of the movies I love the most. Maybe those I respect the most as real deep intelligent films. I sobbed so much during that film and at the end of it I was a mess! I did not love the beginning titles. I did not love the sun shadows as mom and son were singing together. But that is what is genius with a true movie. It's not perfect. It does not have to be perfect. Because the looks are less important than the message. And the message here is BIG. I really encourage you to see this movie, get past average commercial movies. This movie dares. This movie touches. This movie knows what Love IS.

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.

A wonderful film that will motivate and help young individuals who are coming of age ! The film explores the fear that many young teens face that many other writers or filmmakers are afraid to expose. We have seen films where gays are loved and praised, which is always fun to watch, but it is also important that we get to see the other side. Blackbird is the movie you go buy and give to that one kid who is afraid to come out and be himself. I think it's something that families can watch together. Although it may be controversial to some,I believe the younger generation facing this struggle will watch this film and say, "Thanks, I needed that."