Eyes of a Roman

Eyes of a Roman is an impressive Indie film shot entirely in Texas on a shoestring budget. Charismatic Writer and Director, CJ Goodwyn, assembled a dynamic group of over 200 cast and crew who were passionate about the project, spending hours on physical training, rehearsal, and logistics. I met CJ several years ago and we have worked together on various projects. He is very dedicated to the craft and produces a high quality product.

The film has excellent visual impact with intense and realistic fight scenes. Worthy of Indie film awards, it has many salient nuggets for fans of the period. There were many memorable scenes with strong and moving performances depicting internal conflicts that are relevant today.

The musical score is stellar and serves as a superb backdrop with perfect placement. I was impressed with the wardrobe and weaponry, and can only imagine the coordination involved for such a large cast.

I am a fan of period pieces and will say that the film would have benefited from a bit more script editing and actor fine-tuning to include removal of dialogue and mannerisms not correct for the period.

This Texas film is sure to raise the eyebrows of Roman film fans. I'm excited to see more from Trigoodwyn Productions and CJ Goodwyn. Helmets off to the cast and crew for a job well done!

I've seen other feature films from Director CJ Goodwyn and thought the stories were really strong. This is his best work yet though. I hope to see him act more in the future. Les Best is such a freaking indie film star. He killed it with this role, unsurprisingly. I found myself studying the props- they were more realistic looking than I ever would have expected out of a modern day Texas filmmaker. Some green talent throughout but some real shining stars performance wise. I would recommend checking this film out to anyone who appreciates Roman storytelling and/or independent film. Enjoy some raw talent.

This movie has some fine attributes despite the low budget. The story, direction and cinematography were what I'd normally see in a higher budget film. The score was very nice as well.

Most of the historical context is fairly accurate and the costumes are fine. However the Parthians of Persia were not barbarians as we see here, they actually had a fairly advanced culture at that time.

Some of the actors were very good, some others less so. The one weakness of the movie is the casting - Crassus was only about 30 when Sulla marched on Rome, and about 40-42 when he won the final battle in the Spartacus slave revolt, so he should have been played by one of the younger actors in the movie.

CJ Goodwyn is an excellent writer and director, but not an impressive actor, so it would have been better if he had cast one of the other actors in the main role.

Overall, it's a good historical movie.

I enjoyed watching this film, the film was consistent with the story and pacing and the music. It has elements of inspiration from Gladiator. I don't know that for a fact but it is my observation.

This film really has its moments where it pulls on the power of your emotions to tell the story in a more powerful way through music and the camera. I loved the concept, I felt that it answered all the critical questions throughout the film. Les Best was a solid Antagonist and Ella Marrow has a positive future in acting.

My wife and I attended the premier of this film and she really enjoyed it which is saying a lot. She falls asleep in theaters all the time.

Everytime I see a new film from CJ Goodwyn they get better and better. There are a lot of positives to take from this film.

This movie has something for everyone. History buffs will appreciate the period detail involved, but these details wisely did not override the plot. Action aficionados will appreciate the 300esq editing of the fight scenes, but the fight scenes do not dominate the feel.

The writer/director weaves a complex human story of allegiance and loyalty, and asks the age old question of whether nature or nurture plays the larger role in our foundational beliefs.

An imperfect movie, yet so many superior elements are included to belie the independent label. You will see something new each time you watch.