I Am

Having seen some really awful Christian films somehow along the way, I was extremely wary to even give this one a look, but got talked into it nevertheless, and was very surprised.

For once, a solid, interesting story that actually might appeal to someone outside of a church audience. As a matter of fact, it really strayed from the usual modus operandi of Christian films, which is to really push the bible rather than to just tell a story.

It seemed very mature in storytelling, as the plot lines were all different, but somehow intersected and worked with each-other and in the end, though all got resolved in a somewhat typical Hollywood fashion, the story itself kept me pretty involved and I found it to be, for the most part, compelling, which I can't say for any of the other Christian films I've seen.

The cinematography was done fairly well, and though the lighting did seem a little forced, the camera work was solid and the editing was cohesive and focused. The acting, for the most part, was natural, though some came off better than others.

All in all, this is not going to score anyone a whole lot of mainstream buzz or come out the other side with any real awards, but I found it to be, by far, the best of this genre I've seen, and I would recommend it as a rental for sure.

An old Christian songwriter once crooned "why should the devil have all the good music?" An appropriate question for our time might be "why should the devil have all the good movies?" I'm thankful there are Christian filmmakers (many with only limited funding, backgrounds, experience in cinematography) who are taking the plunge into the film-making world. I'm confident in the future it will be the norm for films produced by Christians to be headlining right next to other films (in a similar vein of how, these days, there are numerous Christian bands getting equal billing as other bands). I'm also confident that films produced by Christians will one day match, in the least, the quality and creativity of those produced by their secular peers (something we often forget in our Christian circles is that secular filmmakers weren't always producing films with the same prowess as they are today –in fact, you might look up Steven Spielberg's first film "Firelight" for some fun viewing).

Enter John Ward, someone who has had a certain amount of industry background and also some experience in producing Christian media. For those who don't know, he is one of the creators of the "Liquid" DVD study series on Thomas Nelson publishing and Navigators Press. Ward hails from the Mariner's Church in Orange County, California, where he is a High School student worker and small group leader. He (along with Todd Ziele, and Mariner's church associate pastor Jeff Pries) recently caught a vision to move beyond the Liquid DVD series and attempt to produce a feature length, faith-based film. Thus, we have the birth of "I AM" the movie.

"I AM" is a kind of parable about the 10 commandments being played out in modern day life (set in Los Angeles, Ca.). The approach of the film is intended to be contemplative and somewhat moody, with the goal of prompting viewers to think and discuss the subject matter. I want to say that on my first viewing of the film I was a little taken aback by one of the initial plot subjects because I perceived it to be somewhat over the top (and maybe a bit… corny). Keep in mind that I was born in Los Angeles (county), lived most of my life in California, and often stereotypes abound that are far from accurate regarding mainstream life on the west coast. However, after some dialogue with others and doing some research on my own, I discovered that the subject matter of this particular plot line is very much a cutting-edge issue right now. Certainly this is yet to be "mainstream" in any locale, but the character in the film is clearly portrayed as one of the jet-set elite as opposed to an everyday Joe or Jane. With this in mind, I commend the filmmakers for tapping into a theme which can prompt conversations about not only its ethical implications but also the various world-view ideologies surrounding it. Aside from a couple of weaker acting moments toward the beginning of the film (and my own subjective preference for the font and words of the Decalogue to be presented differently), I found the film ultimately to be thought-provoking and very much worth my time. Though one of the commandment applications (on "graven images") seemed a little vague, most of the others were not only clear but also poignant and convicting. I found the intertwining of the themes of "stealing" and "coveting" to be especially powerful. Furthermore, the voluntary restitution and making amends exampled is a timely contrast to the scratch and claw backstabbing portrayed in another recent film release ("The Social Network" – based on the alleged true story of the founders of Facebook). Some professional film critics will likely try and debunk the film along the lines of borrowing techniques and formulas, but anyone watching a fair amount of secular movies will have to concede that this is pretty standard fair in most films – and in virtually every art form (I was just thinking recently; How many times is Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" theme going to be regurgitated by Hollywood?). Some Christian critics will likely be expecting an approach more along the lines of "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof." Personally, I appreciate the film-makers breaking away from that and placing their own fingerprints on this project.

In all, Ward and company have produced a solid, entertaining, life-challenging film (with a strong sound-track), and we'll be anticipating more from them in the future as a welcome addition to the Christian movie scene. They're also to be commended for the free advance promo DVDs being made available to churches.

-Eric Hann

As some one who does not go to or belong to a church I was mostly watching this movie as a movie and not for some kind of message confirmation. That said the movie is OK. There are no special effects, CG, nudity, graphic violence, satanic rituals, gore or glorification of illegal drugs. So anyone wanting a regular studio movie is bound to be disappointed.

That said the acting, camera work, soundtrack and script are a step above a made for TV or two steps above a S2V production, surprisingly good really. I admit my expectations were exceedingly low so any show of promise was rewarding. Was the acting high quality? No. Was it good quality? Yes. Better than most movies coming out these days really. The same could go for most of the rest. The soundtrack while I think nearly all Christian Rock (not really familiar) was actually very good and the producers should be commended for that.

As some have noted the movie is packed full of clichés. Not quite American Pie III clichés but the movie is based on the Ten Commandments and they have been around for a while so this should not come as a surprise to anyone. The Morgan Freeman cliché character was over the top disappointing in that he was such a direct theft that were movie a hit I would wonder about infringements.

I did find it disappointing that many people would likely find the characters not genuine. I tend to agree to a point. Not because such people do not exist but because they are so rare. It is difficult to find people anywhere who decide to turn their lives around in a meaningful way and take large apparently sincere steps to go about it. Having so many in one film is badly overdone. The movie would likely have been much more believable had some of the characters had more likely outcomes in their story lines.

All in all middle of the road movie with a few good points.

To anyone saying that this movie is a "Christian advertisement"... it's a Christian movie. Don't you think there is going to be a glorification of God in this movie? Just a thought. I think this movie does an amazing job of capturing the story of Exodus through a modern lense in order to help the audience better understand scripture. Truly genius thought behind the writing of this movie. I think this movie could be very helpful to people who anre newer to faith or anre still trying to comprehend the Bible due to it's relatable setting for many people. Overall great film with amazing storytelling and message.

I AM is a movie that follows the Ten Commandments, one by one, in a non-linear storytelling like the movie "Crash" or something from Tarantino. Its cutting edge, cool, and plays before you like a puzzle keeping you from getting bored with the Commandments as they are subtly revealed through the plot.

If you're like me, you're tired of the sub-par standards in "Christian Film". In many ways, filmmakers have used the term as an excuse for a cheesy movie with a lame story, lack of artistry, and non-professional acting. I AM literally blows its predecessors away with a cool visual style (the opening scene is underwater!), a non-linear story, and a pure creativity.

I recommend it to anyone!