A Train Ride Beyond the Cliche.
Past God directed by Nick McCallum, has played at the Beverly Hills Film Festival to a sold out crowd and recently won two awards at the SoCal Film Festival. It not only took home Best Feature, but the special Grand Jury Prize of “Best in Fest.”
This film has the set-up for a first class train ride to cliche-land (any film that deals with death, religion and drugs does) but stays on track and is a must see. I must warn you, this movie is harsh and will cut to your core. It deals with life head on. I love (love) when filmmakers pull no punches. I mean, we’re too far into the game of making movies to worry about what any audience is going to think? We have to be willing to let the message go where it must?
A filmmaker has an obligation to share an experience or if they’ve created a movie like this (that portrays the down-side of addiction so well), it has to be alive and breathing. We had too many decades of silent voices in cinema. I always felt, you don’t want to see something, don’t watch. That applies here. Now, I don’t say “Yea, show this to kids or it’s for everyone”. I do say, it holds an important message about siblings, redemption (or not?), drug use, suicide, religion and what we really go through as humans.
I believe in an era when the media and society have put people under microscopes and think they have cornered the market on what all humans feel, well we need a film like Past God to open our eyes. I don’t advocate the drug use in the movie, but this film captures an important time in our society when the world is facing a showdown between drug companies and the consumer, the human spirit and the need for love, humanity and the escape (we all want in some form).
I believe there is something in this film for everyone. The main character even looks like a slightly skinnier ’90s Brad Pitt. Most of all, it’s an independent film with excellent editing, cinematography, acting, directing, writing, production value and well … it’s a GOOD movie.
From Producer Natalie Avital: “For this film it was blood, sweat and tears. So for us to to see a labor of love for Nick (the director) screen and be recognized made me really proud of our work. We made a truly indie film, Nick was a warrior, doing everything it takes to get your independent film finished. He had a really clear vision from day one.”
Solid, solid grade A for Past God.
Review by Paul Booth
Read more articles by Paul Booth on Influx here.
