Among Brothers

This has really turned out to be a very good film! I saw it when it premiered in Charlotte. I was surprised how good of a film it is! It was filmed on a very low budget, but it still has a very professional feel to it.

Among Brothers has an intriguing plot that carries the film from beginning to end. It is engaging and has a very real feeling to it. The amazing thing about this film is that the writer portrayed the killer as the hero of the film. He showed him as basically a good person who made some very bad choices. Even more shocking was the fact that the writer of the film was in fact the brother of the girl who was killed.

There were only a couple things that distracted from the film. A couple times the lighting or a transition between scenes felt a bit off. But then it was filmed on an extremely low budget.

Overall Among Brothers is an extremely entertaining film. I would definitely recommend anyone to see it at least once.

I was quite impressed with the film's ability to expose the complex issues running thru all the characters minds. The ability to view all sides of the story is a powerful experience. Usually you can pick whose side you are on and in most cases "the good guy" and stick to it.....not in this movie. You feel sorry for the killer, you get the full picture of how some times real accidents happen, the wrong decisions are made and how they effect so many lives. I liked the emotion expressed while getting to know the characters. They engulf you almost like you are a character in the movie as well. Each character at different points in the film will have you rooting for them. The actors do a great job winning you over. Also knowing that this film is based off of actual events is very humbling.

"Among Brothers" is based on a true story of an unsolved murder on a college campus. What's very unique and interesting to me about it, to begin with, is that the story was written by the brother of the murder victim, and yet, the alleged murder is the protagonist of the film. Imagine that -- writing a film about the murder of your sister and making her killer the hero. This set-up creates a very honest and engaging spin on the murder/mystery film. Additionally, the performances of the main actors, all newcomers, were sincere and captivating. I saw this film at the Palm Beach Film Festival where the audience went crazy. One elderly woman in particular gushed about the film, the storytelling ability of its director and the great performances, and with good reason -- it's a great film. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is I was sort of expecting a different ending based on the TV show (American Justice) that highlighted this crime. The movie was well written and not by a professional writer or screen writer.

Based on the interest in this movie I have no idea when or if anyone will read this. IF you do then do yourself and have a look at this movie. I confess this is the first independent film I've ever watched because I wasn't or wouldn't expect too much. I have to confess I was happily wrong. This was my first but won't be my last. Suffice to say that "Hollywood" doesn't have a "lock" on good quality films.

P.S.

You can see this film as the last post said at http://www.cinema.lycos.com (don't know where else for sure)

Cheers!

The best films are those done where the people involved have a personal commitment to telling the story, and where risks are taken. Tom Morgan took a risk in bringing this story to light through his writing. I believe he made the murderer the protagonist in order to try to figure out the "why" part of the story. John Schwert took a risk by literally putting everything he had on the line to bring it to film. By using unknown actors, he was able to bring out the believability factor. It had the same impact, in my mind as the film Boys Don't Cry. The first time I saw that, I walked out in the middle because I was so caught up in the story that I couldn't bear it. Among Brothers had the same overwhelming effect. I saw the Charlotte premiere. I'm so proud that John chose to make the film in Charlotte, using many local actors and crew. I was also an extra in the film. John even listed all of the extras in his ending credits. What a generous thing to do. Also, the incidental music and score done by Concentrix, beautifully complimented the film.