The Unseen

I am a photographer and recently covered the Starz Denver International Film Festival. I was lucky enough to see the film "The Unseen" and had the chance to photograph one of the actors (Phillip Bloch) and the Director (Lisa France). Before I'd seen the movie I asked Mr. Bloch about the film and he told me it was like a cross between Slingblade and Mystic River (two of my personal favorites). After seeing the movie I would have to agree completely with Mr. Bloch. The film is gripping, emotional and expertly acted by all involved. Standout performances by Phillip Bloch as Sammy, Steve Harris (The Prartice) as Roy and Gale Harold (Queer as Folk) as Harold are amazing. The Film takes you on a journey through the lives of three friends (Harold, Roy and Sammy) who as young boys are forced apart, but are brought back together years later due to the death of Roy's father. When he returns to his hometown to attend his father's funeral, Roy comes face to face with the secrets that drove him away and tore apart the boys friendship. Forced back together the three friends must come to terms with the secret they all share. The film has an amazing ending that will stay with you long after you leave the theater. Lisa France has written and directed a moving masterpiece of the highest quality. I highly recommend this film to everyone. It will make you smile, it will make you cry, but most of all it will make you think!

I was one of the few lucky ones who was able to attend the NYC screening in February 2006. I was first made aware of this film by seeing a "preview" of it that was included in a DVD box set I had purchased. I was immediately intrigued, but very curious if I would ever actually be able to see it. This movie was enjoyable and exciting mostly the whole way through. Well written, and extremely well acted. Some people can recognize 3 of the stars from TV: Gale Harold ("Queer As Folk"), Steve Harris (various appearances, including "The Practice" & "Law & Order"), and Phillip Bloch (who is most recognized for various appearances on the E! Channel). Each character is totally different from each other, and plays just as a dynamic role. Gale Harold's character is totally disturbed and enraged with fear, not anger, as that is what Harold (Yes, that's Gale Harold's character's first name!) wants to believe about himself. He was fantastic in this role. You felt the fear of Harold when he was on screen. You could see the fear of the other characters when Harold was present. Steve Harris' character of Roy also came off with a very strong presence. You felt such sympathy for him, but also a sense of inner strength. Harris' facial expressions coincided perfectly to what the viewer was to understand was going on with him. Much of the film was centered around the life, ideas and management of Phillip Bloch's character Sammy. You wanted to feel sorry for him, and you did even, but at the same time, Sammy was a joyous character and could evoke smiles and chuckles of laugher from the audience from time to time. His childlike wit was appealing, and at the same time, the fact that he had childlike wit was part of why you felt for him. Being Bloch's first full length feature role, he did it exceptionally well. The story of the movie, being based around sadly stereotypical old-fashioned race issues in the South, is something that gets portrayed in films very frequently. However, the catch is to make is come across interesting, gripping, and most importantly-different. This film does achieve that. Does it well, actually. There's a different synopsis than most might expect. This easily keeps the viewer's interest. The reason I voted 8 stars and not 9 or 10 is only based on the one thing that stood out to me in the film as too "over the top", and that was the Southern accents used/attempted by a few of the non-leading characters in the film. We know you're Southern, we know you're "gritty" and slightly dirty. The example that lays most prominent in my mind is Michelle Clunie's portrayal of Kathleen. It was easily viewable that in reality, Clunie has not an ounce of southern accent in her. Her tone, combined with her mannerisms, and even her hair and wardrobe made her character more annoying than she really should have been. All in all though, an excellent film. Definitely glad I was able to see it! I'll keep my fingers crossed for the DVD!

I really want to rate this film higher, but it just seemed a little slow at times. That is to take nothing away from a great story about friendship and love and secrets. You have to wait until the end for everything to wrap and make sense, but it was well worth the wait.

Two boys, Roy (Steve Harris) and Harold (Gale Harold) were best friends, "like two ticks on a hound dog," as children. Something happened to break them up and Roy leave town. When he returns for his father's funeral, you see the tension and believe it to be racial. The woman who loves Roy (Catherine Dent) thinks maybe he "bats for the other team." There is a lot of humor when Sammy (Phillip Bloch) is in the picture. he is Harold's blind brother. Harold seems to relish picking on him, but he really seems to do the best he can in caring for him. Sammy may be blind, but he sees a lot of things better than many of us. he is unconcerned about what others think and dresses for comfort, and speaks his mind freely.

The secrets are things that we do not like to talk about, but some of us have dealt with in profession endeavors. It is enough to keep the two men at odds. It is a tragedy that things ended the way they did, but then some really good things also happened as a result. Out of the bad, good; that seems to be the way life is sometimes.

OK up front I will say I went to see this film because Gale Harold was in it. But very quickly I realized I was watching an utterly moving film that was going to have a lot to say! Lisa France did a great job in writing this and knowing she would be opening up a couple cans of worms with the issues! There is a basic background one is given about an incident that happened to two boys and how each one reacts differently in their lives to cope with this event. Steve Harris and Gale Harold played their parts perfectly. Steve Harris (Roy) is brought back to the town he grew up in only to be ignored and verbally abused by Gale's character (Harold). You're watching this and thinking, there are no redeeming qualities about "Harold" and it's painful to watch. ...but you find after awhile, in spite of yourself, you do kind of like him, he is doing the best he can with the crappy life he has been dealt. For that I give merit to Gale's acting ability! It must have been tough job to pull this one off! It's a touching, sometimes disturbing and yet also funny film. Well worth seeing if you get the chance! Just be prepared to have a couple emotional reactions when the lights come back up in the theater.

The Unseen, an undeniably impressive film, takes you into the bizarre and twisted Southern style life vicariously thru multiple intriguing characters. Dysfunctional families have never seemed so harmonious. The Writers have seemingly pulled out all the stops of "political correctness" to exhibit what true pain and suffering looks like when prejudice and hate are the bane of one's existence. Phillip Bloch's performance as "Sammy" is purely outstanding; his character will entice the range of emotions within you~~ one moment you're feeling the pains of embarrassment for him and the next your standing proud next to him with his mismatched attire for his "childlike" disposition brings the movies complexities back to simplicity; Simplicity which takes all the prejudice and hate that one has to offer and just asks "WHY~~ Why can't you just let me be who I am?" Gale Harold as "Harold", is simply sensational in portraying this cocktail of mixed emotions which stem from his post traumatic childhood psychological trauma coupled with his innate "goodness from within" that he has always had buried so deep from within. This film is sure to move you through a realm of emotions and realizations while at the same time discerning the truth which lies within "The Unseen".