User reviews

WOW. I can not believe that at the time I am writing this, the current review is 7.3 from 16 people. I think the 16 people who gave these high reviews must be affiliated with the movie in some way or maybe they rated it high as they too are from Grand Rapids, Mi and want to support a locally produced movie.

I just returned home from the theater where I watched this movie because it was the only thing playing at the time I was there. I have a very open mind and I like all types of movies (even the not so good "B" movies, but this one was just plain not-good. There were 6 of us in the audience and at the end of this movie, I could tell from other people's reactions that their feelings were mutual - the movie was horrible.

I really hate to give a local film a bad review, not to mention that some of the actors / actresses were beautiful people; However, that doesn't cover up bad acting, poor quality movie, and bad story line.

I sat through the entire thing waiting and hoping for something to improve, but the dull story just droned on. When the credits started rolling, I thought to myself, "you have got to be kidding me? That's it?" I looked around the empty theater and realized that all 6 of us (who were not with me, felt the same way). We were all left wondering WTF.

I rushed home to see what kind of rating this movie got, thinking surely it was low - maybe a 2 or 3 but surprised (horrified) to see a 7.3. I wanted to give this movie a "1" as awful, but feeling generous, I give it 3 stars for "Effort". I't better than anything I could produce (well maybe), but that's why I'm not a movie director either.

When the movie was over, I went to go find the manager so i could ask if he had seen the movie. I refused to believe that management would watch such a bad film and then let it run. The Assistant Mgr told me no - that he had not yet seen the film and that explained a lot. I suggested that he see it, and left the theater with 2 free passes. The free passes or refund was not my intention in speaking with the Manager, but the movie did suck, so I accepted his offer and thought I'd come see what others had said about the movie here on IMDb (which is probably something I should have done prior - which is what I usually do when I plan to see a film but this one caught me by surprise).

If you like bad films, bad acting and low budget movies, check it out, perhaps you'll like it - I didn't.

If anyone reading this had anything to do with the film such as acting or any part of the film, I would simply like to say - I don't mean this bad review as any personal attack on any of you, I think you did the best with what you had to work with. I wish you better success on your next one - everyone has to start somewhere.

No matter what the friends of the producer/director/writer/star claim, this movie is NOT brilliant,impressive, superior,wonderful, almost perfect, awesome, or superb. It is not even good. Currently it is rated 3.4 and I predict that number will go down. This is a lame exercise in ego by someone who doesn't have a clue about making a movie. Whenever you have one of these low budget "indies" and one person dominates all the credits, you have your first indication that this is all about ego. After sitting through this movie your initial fears are confirmed. Now this would not be a problem if that person was indeed "brilliant" or "awesome." In this case he is not. The script is weak, the direction is confusing, the editing is horrible, and the acting sub par. All in all an exercise in ego by someone who should not have one.

Just like a previous reviewer stated I too believe that the high rating number for this movie is the result of rating by either people who worked on it, or ratings of friends of the writer-director. In reality it is a very dull film with sub par acting that is very poorly (painfully) edited. It looks like it was shot with a home HD video cam without any thought to proper lighting (if they even had any) or continuity. The editing is so bad that you are usually left watching actors who are not doing anything, listening to actors off camera, or holding way too long o scenes that had already played out 15 seconds earlier. And to top it all off this "Michigan" film takes place in Louisiana and no one has a Louisiana accent! I could go on and one about the shortcomings of this movie, but actually shortcomings is too nice of a word for it. What best sums it up is what happened after the movie ended.

Walking out of the theater I talked with one of the actors involved and you could tell he was deeply embarrassed with the movie. He tried to put a good face on it and I didn't press him, but we both knew it was horrible.

I know the writer/producer/director's friends and co workers think they are helping him out by posting glowing reviews of his work. They are not. The first clue you should note is when words like "brilliant," "impressive," amazing," and my favorite "almost perfect," are in the summery titles. That kind of hyperbolic praise is a sure sign that they probably aren't as objective as they should be. However the real damage comes when someone like me, unconnected with the production, watches the movie and then looks on IMDb to see what others think about it. Normally someone like me would not bother to review it. But seeing these reviews that claim it is a "brilliant" and "almost perfect" movie force me to set the record straight. It is not brilliant nor is it amazing, or even good for that matter. It is really bad. As one reviewer put it, it is painful to watch. The story is weak, the dialog is corny, and the editing is horrendous. These reviewers who give it such over the praise are really hurting the director by not being honest, and they are inadvertently forcing people like me to put down far more objective and truthful reviews.

It was difficult to watch this movie. The script concept was weak and not very original. This same plot has been done before going all the way back to the 1970's with returning vets discovering corruption back home. The dialog is trite and uncomfortable, often without any attempt at an authentic southern accent on the part of the actors. The camera work shows no creativity or careful thought. at times it looked as if they just set it up anywhere and just shot. But by far the editing is the worst of the lot. The scenes often hold on something unimportant (like a door) as if something else will happen, and then nothing does. Cuts within scenes often make little sense and we are left confused by the choices. When you put this all together you end up with a story you know could have been told better, characters that you don't really care about, and in the end you realize the whole thing was a complete waste of time.

The friends of the director as well as some of the cast and crew are obviously still logging on IMDb in order to give a high rating and glowing reviews to this bad film. One review sounds just like a press release and another claims this to be a million dollar production! It looks more like it was shot with an HD camera bought at Best Buy. The story lags, the editing is dreadful, the acting is poor, and the production values are obviously poor.

Not for a minute was I convinced that Michigan was Louisiana, or that they were anywhere close to Afghanistan. Instead of basing the story on the limited budget they had, the film makers have tried to do too much with what they had. Instead of concentrating on a good small story and working on the acting,they decided to make a very bad big story with little consideration for the actors. This makes it all very painful to watch. One final note, it would have been nice to have authentic Louisiana accents in "Louisiana."

This film handles the returning war veteran subject brilliantly and distributes ample time from character development to action and back to the present from the flashbacks. I saw this film with military veterans who were members of the American Legion and sponsored this movie and we were all amazed at service it did. The Oakland Press called this film "a gripping edge of your seat thriller" and that is exactly what it was plus enthralling affection toward the subject matter. I thank the filmmakers for that. Finally there is a movie out there that deals with the reality of combat. That said, I am huge fan of movies like "Walking Tall" and "Desparado" and think the film was an interesting mix of both. The film doesn't withhold any emotions back. The funeral scene was by far the most visually arresting and riveting part of the whole picture. I thought the musical score by James Stonehouse took me right back to those experiences. The best performances in the funeral scene by far are from Michelle Lynne Balser and Bill Cobbs who plays Brandon T Jackson's father (the actor from Tropic Thunder and Fast and Furious series). On NBC News today they showed the filmmakers handing over a check with a portion of the proceeds from the theatrical box office to the American Legion, and it was such an amazingly kind act from the filmmakers and crew members of this movie as it has been brought to my attention are actual veterans, so their point of view was a brilliant epic in the consultation of this film. American Legion's official face book shown a standing ovation by 10,000 veterans as the American Legion National Convention in Houston this year who were treated to a charitable screening of this film as it was sponsored by the national American Legion out of D.C.

As an active military member, I can attest to the authenticity of this military drama, from the uniforms, to the production design, wardrobe design, every piece was obviously well thought out and put together. The film was part "Tears of the Sun" part "Green Zone" part "State of Play". A political intrigue that smartly utilizes modern day politics woven into action and combat. The negative reviews seem to be by people that have no respect for the American military as they were an active part in making this film realistic. The American Legion sponsored this film and the heroism of an American soldier is captured in this film perfectly. I believe Carl Ballou (who is the cinematographer) will be receiving an award tonight at the Louisville Film Festival for his work on this movie.

In Approaching Midnight, Sam Logan plays a 20 something special forces/ranger approved All American, and there's a scene that at a critical point that sums up this whole film and it's ambitions and thats when Wesley Kent (Sam Logan) comes back from the war and has to return his best friends locker room things to his widow (Carollette Phillips). I just rented this on the new releases at one of Nashville's last remaining video stories LOL. First off, I couldn't wait for the RedBox so it was an adventure, I saw the trailer on television and I had to just rush to the store to get it. I'm a country girl and I love Jana Kramer, her characters part in this movie is so sweet and heartwarming with her love for Wesley (Sam Logan). The opening scene is a really heartfelt date scene between the characters that sets up the whole drama of the rest of the movie. Toward the end of the film it thematically all comes back to the opening scene in an interesting way. There is a giant courtroom battle that flashes back to Jana's character Aspen. Aside from the plot of the film, the DVD itself is perfect and I enjoyed it slightly more than Heart of the Country's DVD (another movie with Jana) because Approaching Midnight's DVD does have a lot more special features with Jana in it, for example a Jana Kramer video journal in the making of, where she takes you on a tour of the set and there's fun moments with other cast members. The horseback riding scenes were so splendid, I love how they re-created a perfect country atmosphere. The filmmakers and production designers did such a good job, and the film could take place almost anywhere, that's why as they say this film could "play in peoria."

This film was truly superior in it's cinematography, acting and "007" like editing effects. The romance between Staff Sergeant Wesley Kent (Sam Logan Khaleghi), Aspen Malverne (Jana Kramer- TV's "One Tree Hill") was flirtatiously awesome and adding the character of Natalie Church (Michelle Balser) into the mix created an awesome "post-potential" love triangle. If you are a fan of the shaky camera thing (which is in all the Bourne movies) then you may not like this, because thankfully, some indie films like this one have returned to the smooth style of peaceful and horizontal cinematography and camera work, which is accredited to Carl Ballou (the movie's DP, who has done such provoking work as music videos for Eminem and the upcoming Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) Brick Mansion's'. I really thought this was a great movie, There seems to be a reviewer who keeps adding negative spam here, obsessed with the location of the film (the location of the movie is set in a fictional 'All America' village) ... but frankly speaking, I am from Michigan and I support movie's that are made in Michigan, it's a hard task to make a film let alone so many veterans who participated in the making of this picture. Aside from that fact, the film is genuinely good, in every way. The acting is natural and legit, the action sequences are demonstrated and all around positive story. Yes the film is rated MPAA PG, so I agree, families can enjoy without worrying about the action and gunplay being too much for young audiences.

This was a great independent film hailing from the state of Michigan, it discuss family relationships, friendships amongst soldiers and incredibly showcases the beautiful scenery of Michigan. Jana Kramer is a wonderful actress and did splendid with the rest of her cast.

The story is edgy, smart and dives into relateable human emotions and aspects of returning from war.

The film is action packed when it needs to be and curves around the corners with excellent aim character development. If you missed it in theatres it is on DVD and I do think its a good buy for those who like good music, good acting and independent film.

The film strikes a nice balance between action, suspense and drama. The amount of personal loss and tragedy endured by the main character created a lot of sympathy, but wasn't overly depressing to the point of distraction. The story focuses more on a specific mystery that needs to be solved vs. making a larger obvious statement about the nature of war, (although I suspect many veterans can identify with the film's protagonist) and it certainly pays respect to our men and women in uniform. Approaching Midnight should not be written off as a purely action driven "guy'" movie, but an intelligent drama that manages to infuse some romantic tension as well. Definitely enjoyed it. A unique spin on the genre.

The first thing to say is that as a parent is that I am glad to find a film that's rated PG so I can take my kids to see or rent and watch as a family.

The younger crowd may not understand how resonating this film is for people who actually served in the Army or other branches of the military but I would put the characterization of this film on par with "The Hurt Locker" or "Jarhead". Granted this is not an Oscar winning big budget battle-war-centric film, but the elements that went into understanding the path of a returning soldier from war was very realistic. My father served in the military therefore I appreciated this picture. I savored every element of witty script writing and banter between the characters. I was delighted to see that yes like other reviewers pointed out, cast members with military experience were actual supporting actors in the film in addition to the star power of the leads.

The plot is about a soldier (Sam Logan Khaleghi) who comes back from war as we know, and now has to utilize his skill set to solve a winding mystery about the death of his ex-girlfriend (played by country music star Jana Kramer) and make public or open details of her father who may or may not have information. I don't want to give anything away that would spoil the twists and turns of the second and third acts of the film, but if you like war genre and mystery genre, this is a splendid mix of both. I noticed people having arguments about where the film takes place (be it Michigan or Louisiana) however, the director was on a Morning News broadcast today (FYI - I bought the DVD after hearing it came out today on TV); the director said that the film does takes place in a fictional city, and so I didn't care what accents the actors had because when I googled the name of the city, it is indeed fictional, southern or mid-west, it doesn't show up, it's fanciful either way. I was more into the plot of the movie, the military themes and the characters which I found charming and emotionally grasping.

I didn't get a chance to catch this in the movie theater, but as I said, I was able to watch it on DVD today with my kids (my daughter is a huge fan of "Tropic Thunder"), and she liked Brandon T. Jackson, who has a jewel of a cameo appearance which reminded me of his Tropic Thunder character slightly but more dramatic because he actually plays someone who was a soldier in the war. The positive of watching this on DVD is that I was able to enjoy the incredible slew of special features, which included an informative series of making-of-documentaries including interviews with cast and crew. The special features on this DVD were awesome because it was an actual behind the scenes look rather than an extended trailer with b-roll of behind the scenes which is what many big movies do nowadays.

• Eddie

I'm starting my first year of film school and let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Independent Film and when I heard this film was playing at the Louisville International Film Festival I was so glad, because i missed it in theaters during its regular limited run.

There were a slew of celebrities at the LIFF this past weekend so it was worth my ticket. The movie studio representatives were very kind who represented "Approaching Midnight" and made sure everyone got a seat, so I saw some folks in line for 'Approaching Midnight' and decided to jump in too. It was worth the wait alongside "The Wedding Pact" starring Haylie Duff which I also enjoyed. Those two pictures why my LIFF 2013 choices.

"Approaching Midnight" is great source material for independent filmmakers. The clam but action driven narrative with very detailed character descriptions from scene to scene. The amazing world that was created here by the cast and crew is measured in theatrical wonders.

The cast is stellar. A breakthrough performance by Carollette Phillips as the wife of Brandon T. Jackson's "AJ Culpepper" is flawless, and I felt for every emotional tie she gives each scene.

The film is rated PG, yet pulls off the war scenes with sweetness and the violence is not gloriously graphic for a younger audience (as a note, my little sister was with me and she liked it too).

Background on myself, I have been an IMDb user for over several years, I am from the midwest area, but I support all mid-west arts, film and creative types. I saw this film in Chicago at the historic Wilmette Theater, and I REALLY enjoyed both great movies from Monterey Media this year that were coincidentally films made in Michigan including "The Citizen" and "Approaching Midnight". I am admitting to being slightly biased as a mid-west film scene supporter but praise has to be given to intense work from such amazing MoTown Filmmakers. As for this one, I don't want to give away any twist endings that the trailer almost gives away, but the film is stellar! I also loved Cinematographer Carl Ballou's work on this movie, it's like "The Thin Red Line," very Emmanuel Lubezki like, kind of reminded me of "Tree of Life" too. The movies soundtrack was very omniscient, and I have been watching the very cool works of composer James Stonehouse or a long time who created a track on this film that was a borderline of Hanz Zimmer and John Ottman, who scored the Usual Suspects. Which is funny, because when I was watching the film at the theater in the suburban Chicago area, the theater had an awesome 5.1 setup that fantastically captured the elements of the soundtrack.

Approaching Midnight is captivating. I know there's been review's about the films' love stories but I think beyond the romance, the film was actually a splendid cat and mouse political thriller. Centered on a political game between a crooked mayor and an returning Army soldier who decides that he must protect his country from a local threat. The film to me was about a hero whose stakes are triggered by the events that lead up to each moment he comes across in previous scenes. From the passing of his friends to the expansion of new relationships, this film is just a brilliant film, moment to moment, it's Hitchcock like quiz with a military angle in it. I can't really review the DVD though, because I caught this film in a theater in Kentucky.

Academy Awards, take notice! Great Acting and Great Scenery make for a Great Film. I was lucky enough to see Approaching Midnight in the movie theater at Cobb Theater in Clearwater, Florida. I plan on buying the DVD from Best Buy this week because I am a huge fan of military movies, crime movies and there's over 5 making of documentaries on this DVD.

The movie's co-star Jana Kramer (ACM's New Female Vocalist of the Year for 2013), Michelle Lynne Balser (Locked in a Room) Mia Serafino (Saving Mr. Banks with Tom Hanks) are awesome in the movie, and provide good acting with good scenery. Sam Logan Khaleghi's (director/actor) managed to do a perfect job of working both on and behind the camera, and joins so many others that have done so recently. I'm excited to find some of his earlier work as a producer. I really enjoyed this film and I was a fan of his previous work on MTV.

I heard it was filmed in Michigan which is a very popular place with filmmakers lately (ie the new Batman vs Superman and Transformers). It's hard to resist the beauty of the state, although the film takes place in a fictional all American city. It's action packed indeed, but aside from that, I loved the whole Main Street, Horses, Big Town politics versus Small Town politics dialogue that makes for an awesome script. I was at the edge of my seat during the entire climax of the movie, especially the courtroom sequence and it held my attention solid. The acting was probably the best part.

This was an awesome film. I was very impressed with the way the film had the ability to hit. There were a lot of scenes where it was entirely possible to relate to the characters, despite the fact that the scenario might not relate to me directly. To me, this is a sign of good writing. The ability to develop characters who you almost feel as if you know them is a dying art. The use of flashbacks was very good. I was totally on board with the way the story progress in that sense. To me, the flashbacks were what gave the film more of a structure. Each time more information came out, it became a bit more clear as to what was going on with the big picture. Well done Sam! 10/10 from me!

This film was a spectacular million dollar production, that stars many "REAL LIFE American Veterans" -- who sacrificed their time for our Country. The above reviews seem to be written by some angry "extras" on the film who probably didn't get enough chocolate at the craft service table during lunchtime. ha ha. (This film was shot on a state of the art Red Camera you joker!) - and the camera moves and editing are swift and amazing.

As for the film itself, all I can say is that it held it's world premiere in Houston at the American Legion National Convention - then dedicated half of the proceeds from opening night to our Military Veterans. It's something to be proud off - in addition. Actress JANA KRAMER (Country Music Singer) did a spectacular acting in the film. The film is a really is a wonderful action drama with amazing twists at every move of the plot. I would suggest this film to anyone who is a fan of "Walking Tall" or "State and Play." I give it 10 out of 10 stars truly.

The actors' performances in "Approaching Midnight" are simply captivating and there are many instances where we get an awesome deepening glimpse further into their characters pasts by way of flashbacks and we truly understand their feelings. Actors, Sam Logan Khaleghi, Jana Kramer, Michelle Balser and Brando. T Jackson (Fast and Furious) will have you at the edge of your seat throughout the whole movie. Jeff Stetson's portrayal of "The Mayor" and Dean Teaster's part of "The Sheriff" will lave you simply shaking with anxious fear. They are the perfect bad guys!

Seeing Sam Logan Khaleghi's direction and cinematic envisioning of the film's military elements come to life with the help of real veterans to make the Army and Marine's war sequences authentic was a perfect experience. The special effects are brilliantly choreographed by an amazing SFX Team, and the Cinematography of Carl Ballou is tasteful and wonderful. James Stonehouse's soundtrack is worth noting as well as the Design Stylist Carolyn Kozlow who's double duty on this movie managing two departments is accurate and flawless. We really sense that we are in a modern middle America town fighting the good fight with the main character.

This was a Triumphant Story of a Hero!

I just got my DVD from the store today. It was in a collection of Army movies, including "Tigerland" and "Behind Enemy Lines", it was an awesome 3 package DVD set that I couldn't pass up. I couldn't wait to come home and watch "Approaching Midnight" on DVD and let me say the special features are a surefire hit! Jana Kramer has a behind the scenes tour of the set where she shows you her costumes and talks about her character and gives us a tour of the craft service table too. LOL. I am a huge country music fan, and I saw Jana live in concert, she's a wonderful musician but an even better actress. In the film her character is so gentle and sweet, yet fiery and emotional that the love story works and when the love triangle is made when adding Michelle Balser's character of Natalie into the mix, it creates some on screen chemistry in a frustratingly amazing way. Not to mention, Mia Serafino's amazing performance as a daddy's girl who believes her father no matter what the cost to the rest of her town. She reminded me of a young I really enjoyed the villains in the movie as well, because they were humanized and we really felt bad for a couple of them. I give it a 9 out of 10.

This film was so awesome on so many levels, I don't know where to begin. Luckily, the film is being re-released in select art house theaters this weekend, and I will make sure to watch the film at the Uptown Film Festival. The DVD is a good watch, but nothing beats watching movies like this on the big screen.

After a flashback scene which sets up the character development between Jana Kramer's lead role and Sam Logan Khaleghi's lead part, The movie opens up in the best way with an action scene that is like "Saving Private Ryan" in the middle nowhere middle/far east. Upon these two scenes there is considerably to the strategic writing of this script than meets the eye. There is the perfect truthful chat between soldier to soldier. This is an intricately engineered "art movie" with "commercial" appeal and scenes like when Brandon T. Jackson and Sam Logan Khaleghi have a dialogue moment between fight sequences is a sublime way of allowing the audience to care about the characters. Although the true fight is Kent's as he is a solitary character who must find out the truth behind the death of his girlfriend due to a car accident.

The antagonist in the movie is depicted with such threat who is Mayor Steven Malverne, that the hero of the story Staff Sergeant Kent comes full tilt in a ferocious and earth shattering perfect character driven performance. The film's action sequences get inside of you and shakes your nerves like in such anticipation that you can't wait for the next scenes to come.

A seriously beautiful film with a such a poignant cast telling a poignant story during a poignant time in modern history.

I have been waiting and certainly hope for Jana Kramer and Sam Logan Khaleghi to team up on camera again. This is Jana's best performance and it is because Logan-Khaleghi uplifts her and challenges her in her scenes to become and be the best actress that is within her. Her character in "Approaching Midnight" was much better than her characterization in "Heart of the Country". Aside from that, I want to point out the brilliant cinematography of Carl Ballou known for his work on the upcoming Sam Raimi film "Don't Breathe" starring Stephen Lang (of AVATAR fame). This is also Mia Serafino's best performance to date. I like her on the NBC show "Crowded" but here she really gets to shine with a real character in a real drama. Her scenes with Sam Logan Khaleghi remind me of some classic monologues and dialogues between two characters in independent film that make indie film great. The fun thing about this particular film is that in many ways it doesn't seem like an independent film, but rather a smart and suspenseful drama.

I saw this film at Emagine Theatres the first time, and the second time at the AMC cinema on the west coast. Just bought my DVD with special features and I seriously loved this film. I am a huge fan of NBC's Crowded, so I wanted to see what Mia Serafino starred in before this. Sam Logan Khaleghi (Batman V Superman) and Mia Serafino (Crowded) are the lightning of excellent acting in this film. Stoic, accentuated and pinpointed. A brilliant process of what happens when actors taught in English conservatories are in American films. Approaching Midnight is about an Army veteran Wesley Kent who returns to his small town home to fight the threat of political corruption in the form of Mayor Malverne, who is the father of Aspen Malverne (Jana Kramer) who happens to be Wesley Kent's girlfriend. Lots of drama here and great unfolding of events lead to an overall great move that touches on modern day small town politics beside a grand international chain of events. Jana Kramer (Teen Choice Award winner and Platinum recording artist) is currently on tour with her latest country music album so catching her in this film is your best bet at seeing her return to acting.