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DVD God Don’t Make the Laws
 Run time: 100 min Rating: 4.4 Genres: Drama Director: David Sabbath Writers: David Sabbath Stars: Ella Rae Peck, Lucas Salvagno, Robert Prescott |
| Storyline Does time exist when nothing changes? That is the question for the picturesque Village of Rockwell, where time has frozen… See full synopsis » |
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| Plot Keywords: claim in title | |
| Details: Country: USA Release Date: 1 December 2011 (USA) |
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| Box Office Budget: $190,000 (estimated) |
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DVD God Don’t Make the Laws
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There was no review of this 2011 movie but I took the time to watch it as the story has an interesting premise. Though it is a bit drawn out in it's execution it seems to want to be preachy and make the viewer think about mortality but lacks any real punch due to the pace of it's execution. Whilst the characters and scenario are stereotypical they are well played though the script often lacks any real depth even when it is trying to be dramatic. There are definitely some young actors in this film with a good future ahead of them and this film does no real harm to anyones career. I was a bit worried that it would degenerate into some quasi religious morality play but it seem to be more like a poorly realized contemporary version of Our Town. The "twist" ending seems like an after thought and doesn't really explain anything. But I sat through it and I've seen worse, maybe there is a lesson to be learned if not from the movies premise then from the way it is put together. My one major criticism is the music used throughout the film. Simple background arrangements work here and there but there are a lot of badly written songs that impinge on the dialog and whilst the idea seems to be to amplify the films "meaning" it constantly works against the both the acting and the script often drowning out the actors and distracting the viewer. I just don't see how a filmmaker can ruin perfectly good scenes with an overbearing soundtrack unless he owes the songwriter a big favor or something, he certainly did himself no service at all and came close to wrecking his work completely. This film would have worked much better if there wasn't some chatty song going on in the background, quiet works much better with this sort of dialog. I would have allowed 1 or 2 more stars had the film not used these lame songs. Still it had it's moments and is not a total train wreck.
God don't make the laws is also called "Frozen moment" in some markets is a strange little indie movie from American first time feature director David Sabbath.
Hawk Kodiak gets out of correctional detention and off the bus in small town Rockwell where he is to get a job, under the supervision of a burger shop owner Eddie. A town where American football count, basketball doesn't. He doesn't fit in, walking around with an "illegal" basketball, and doesn't know the "social codes" The police chief in town is also the football coach, and the maker of the laws "around here", and threatens the newcomer, to make him go away. it seem's like time has been standing still. A young girl tells this story after being caught up by men in black suits after years trying to hold them on distance. This is the start of the film, which in more than one way is quite mystical.
A strange film it is. Some interesting moments, but also sometimes very clichéd. Acting is good from some, others aren't that up to it, but still there some talent both from the film maker as well as in some of the young actors. The "retard"is not always very believable. From time to time the dialog in the film is a bit lame.
Quite annoying choice of songs in the film score makes you think there is some religious twist to it, a fear that is without any hold. A couple of other cuts are great, and suits well. However, the whole time the amateurish acting ruins the film. The idea is not so bad, but the execution is not top notch. If you can see past this, a slow burning story, you might have an OK time watching the movie.
I tried really hard to like this movie – the premise sounds encouraging: a loner boy comes to a small town where basketball is banned following the road traffic death years before of some young people – a bit like 'Footloose' but without the funky music and some added supernatural undertones.
The dialogue's not too bad but some of the acting (Lucas Salvagno, Jason Jay Crabtree) is just shockingly bad. Then we come to Adam White's cinematography and director David Sabbbath's editing. The whole thing has the ambiance of some 1970s porno-flick.
It's saved by the easy-on-the-eye Ella Rae Peck and a hefty performance by Robert Prescott but the production values leave a lot to be desired.