The Imposter

Normally I'm not a critical thinker when it comes to movies. I just like them or I don't. However, The Imposter caused be to think critically about film making and I found the film to be an amazing finished product.

Also, I really appreciated the challenge and message the film communicated. "Be real with yourself and those around you and that Jesus is the only way you will be able to be "real" at all." And yet this "realness" challenge comes across as so real, sometimes painful and leaves you with the unknown future. Real indeed.

I hope as many church members as possible watch the movie with their church, with leadership expecting to have hearts broken by God's Spirit and lives set on His path, through the movie's message. This is what I personally experienced.

The usual run of Christian evangelical films is that the protagonist is really down on his luck through a series of bad choices. That's certainly true here with Kevin Max playing a Christian Rock singer who has lost it all and is practically a derelict. Most of all he's lost his wife Arianne Martin and he'd like to put what they had back together again. That's not about to happen any time soon.

The main thing with The Imposter is that unlike so many other of these evangelical films there's no magic Jesus fix. The title comes from the idea that Max is indeed an imposter, mouthing the words, but not really getting the meaning.

If Max wants to get it back together it's a process which makes The Imposter a lot different than most of the films of this genre. I give the creators of this film an A for effort and for conveying that message to the audience.

As a longtime dc talk and Kevin Max fan, I really, really wanted to like this film. "Christian movies" have long had a reputation for being very corny but I had hoped that this would be the exception.

The Imposter's message is an important one, but some of the scenes are so incredibly awkward to watch. Many of them go on for too long and could have benefited from cutting. At a couple points in the film, there were full music videos with the "Grand Design" band belting out their rock message. Were they really needed to show the angst and despair of the lead character, Johnny? I would say no and it would have made the film tighter and more focused.

I believe that Kevin Max did the best that he could with the script he was given. His acting is fine, but the voice overs are monotone and unnecessary. And the very, very numerous slow motion bits thrown in, add very little to the quality and emotional impact of the movie.

I want the The Imposter to do well, but just wish it could be re-edited so that the message of forgiveness and redemption would reach a broader audience.

Haven't seen too many Christian films that I wouldn't call: 1) heavy-handed, or 2) downright cheesy, but this is one of them.

"The Imposter" isn't really an evangelistic film for the non-believer, but instead asks an important question for today...is "Christian" media, especially music, shining the light of Christ to the world, or is it simply reflecting what the world is already doing and just slapping the label "Christian" on it so it will appeal to a certain demographic? Are we really walking as Christ believers or are we just going through the motions, pretending to be something we're not? Production values are first rate. Filmmaker Daniel Millican shows a definite flair for directing music videos. In fact, I would have loved to see more videos interspersed through the whole production, especially the second act, which is the only part of the movie that seemed to bog down a bit for me.

Although the caliber of acting is usually a real shortcoming in most independent Christian films I've seen, "The Imposter" pleasantly surprised me again. Kevin Max is able to carry the film as Johnny C, the prodigal lead singer for the Christian band 'Grand Design.' Of course, being a big-time Kansas fan in high school, the real thrill for me was getting to see former band member Kerry Livgren in the film. I would have bought the film just for the new rendition of "Carry On My Wayward Son" at the end credits. Talk about a tingly feeling going up and down my leg!

I really loved this movie! So good to see quality films that focus on the value systems that I hold to, without sacrificing entertainment. This is solid Christian film-making. I enjoyed that I could watch an entertaining movie that captured my attention and I didn't have to worry about my kids being in the same room. But at the same time, it dealt with real life scenarios that I could relate to and understand as opposed to being light "Christian" topics. We need more of this in the film industry.

Very well written and directed. The characters are believable and you find yourself engrossed in the story line. Looking forward to more like this from Serendipitous!