Love Come Down

I knew nothing about this film before I saw it on Black Starz, a pay channel on cable. I loved the way the director/writer mingled past and present in the film, revealing a family mystery and source of anguish to two brothers. The acting was superb. I am looking forward to more films by this writer/director. He is immensely talented and original. At times viseral and passionate, at times wispy and poetic, this was a work of great art.

Just the other day I was able to score free tickets to this film at it's screening at the Toronto Film Festival. My friends and I knew nothing about this film. We had only bit's and pieces to go on.

The film is roughly about two brothers, one white one black, (it rarely touches on anything to do with their race difference) both with the same mother but different fathers. One brother struggles with drug addiction, the other with anger. It often flashes back and forth with the past and the present.

While I do feel this film is worth seeing, and does offer some humor and heartache. I Found it went for the hidden obvious. What I mean is, TOO many times the film tried to surprise me with things that don't surprise me any more. Like a gun or a knife. At one point some guy pulls out a gun, and the whole theatre let out a "GASP!" I was thinking "Have these people ever seen a film before?" The same goes for the knife that got pulled out. Even more so, I saw it coming. This Large knife shows up many times in the film, I had a feeling that it would be used later on. While this "GASP" factor held the film back, there are a number of things to rejoice about. One being the feature film debut of Deborah Cox.

She is able to hold the audiences attention with her singing and above par acting. Also the comedy factor is well done. Some jokes that fall short, but that's the point since one brother is a struggling comic. There are many surprises in this film, and plenty of tears. I recommend this film, if it opens in your city see it, but don't gasp.

I won't be saying too much about what happens in the film as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Not knowing what was happening was part of the fun.

I just got to see 'Love Come Down' at the Vancouver International Film Festival. It was one of the best films I have seen in a long time. A dark movie, with well placed humor, that follows the transition of two brothers and the people around them. Both lead actors, Cummins and Tate, made their characters people I cared for. The movie was about Tate's character, but Cummins quietly and darkly stole it from him. The film drew me in completely. One of the final scenes, in the kitchen, had me gripping my chair arms from the tension.

The artistic way it was filmed, and the use of flashbacks intertwined (quickly and suddenly) into current events, made it very interesting to watch.

My favorite scene is when the two brothers and their friend are sitting around the new toaster in their kitchen.

I can't wait to see it again!!