Before the Fall

The mention of Pride and Prejudice attracted me, it's my favorite movie. This movie is based on that movie. And believe me when I say it was bad in every way possible. The production, camera work, acting, chemistry, scenario .... everything was all over the place and I couldn't continue watching. It's a really big disappointment, I was really excited. Hope in the future someone would adopt "pride and prejudice" to make a gay movie and nail it. I can't describe how disappointed I am.

I squirmed through most of this movie as the characters, the dialog, the setups, the photography were all just cliche after cliche. I don't think there was one novel approach to or insight into anything or anyone in this movie. To take P&P---which is anything but cliches---and rework it into a hackneyed gay flick like this, just makes me very sad.

Honestly, mediocre gay themed films are a dime a dozen. So I had low expectations for this small indie. But, surprise of surprises, I was pulled into this film and invested in the characters. First of all its quite beautifully shot with gorgeous locations capturing the charm of small town Virginia. The two main actors are nicely portrayed with refreshing subtlety and actually have good chemistry. I've never seen Chase Connor before but he has a natural charisma. The side characters are also enjoyable especially the two gay friends. Unfortunately, the writing of the homophobic girlfriend is much too broad and stereotyped. Overall, a nice diverting gay film. I barely noticed the Pride and Prejudice references.

First off, let me say, too many people over analyze movies. Movies are supposed to make us feel something, regardless of the emotion. I found this film very touching and beautiful. The characters were believable and genuine. The acting by some in this film was less than stellar, but for a low budget film what do you expect? I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I have known more than a few people like the character of Lee. Some say stereotypical, I say realistic. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I think most folks can get past a little bit of poor acting to appreciate a deeper meaning.

This film is based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and it borrows quite a bit from its source, but it is very much its own story. The differences are enough to allow it to be judged on its own. The gorgeous Virginia and Great Smoky mountain scenery only enhance the beauty of the film. The characters are believable in their flawed reality. There is comic relief at times, even campy silliness with a couple characters, but they really don't detract from the poignant plot progression. These people feel very real, perhaps even like people we know. Yes, all of them; the main characters, the friends, the girlfriends. Most of us know people like this, might want to step into the story and have a stern talk with them (or more). The slow pace may put off some viewers who would be impatient for the story to move along, for the characters to just "get over themselves." Let them be. They will work it all out the best way they can.

Not kidding I thought it was an amazing film with really good acting, great direction with the storyline and characters that you could really feel for, it will remain one of my favorite films moving forward!