Unconditional

Well I decided to write my 1st review since I kinda understand why this movie critics were so mixed. Must say it was not what I expected to be but not in a bad way... I did not know if I hated or loved this movie till the end...started watching it very late at night and felt asleep, in the morning I felt I should give it try and see it till the end since I could not rate it otherwise. Well I'm glad I did. It has a deep message, emotional and beautiful picture and music. It is true that scrip could have been better and in some occasions is a little bit over dramatic but in the end it all makes sense. So... my advice, don't judge too soon ;)

Sam Crawford (Lynn Collins) and Joe Bradford (Michael Ealy) are childhood friends who reconnects under difficult circumstances. She has lost her loving husband in a violent crime. She is suicidal and about to shoot herself when she runs to the aid of two little kids. They got run over after committing a petty crime. Sam finds that Joe is their mentor. In fact he's a mentor for many fatherless neighborhood kids even with his failing health.

This falls under the category of Christian film. The themes aren't too over the top. It's embedded into the story and is very watchable. The only problem is that there are a few too many coincidences to start this off with. Although it purports to be inspired by real life, this strikes an artificial note in the story.

Lynn Collins is very compelling as this character. She strips down to show some emotions in this role. Michael Ealy is good as the saintly Joe without being preachy. The little kids are pretty good too, especially Kwesi Boakye who plays Macon.

I went into this movie with no expectations, but loved - loved - loved it! So many great messages, ideas, concepts ... I'll be thinking about this movie for a long time forward. It's full of Biblical concepts, but doesn't feel the least bit "preachy". Honor the PG-13 rating and don't take younger kids ... although the concepts of love, acceptance, struggle, faith, hope, etc. are universal, there is some violence and some of the subjects/themes are in many ways adult (as in grown-up, not as in sexual). Again, loved the movie and want to see it again to better soak in the details ... I may have missed something due to the tears (both sad & happy ones).

I got to see an early showing of this film, and went in knowing very little about it. When a special message for my screening played, describing the process of making it and revealing that it was coming from Harbinger, a media company "created to produce high quality theatrical films that honor God," I groaned a bit internally, fearing a trite, preachy, overly earnest two hours.

The film was wonderful. Beautiful, even.

It tells the story of Samantha Crawford, a woman whose life is falling apart. Her husband has been killed in a senseless incident, and she is severely depressed. Through a seemingly random encounter with two girls, she is reunited with one of her oldest friends, Joe Bradford.

I'm not sure whether or not the character of Samantha exists, but the parts about Bradford are all based on the actual man, who was involved in the production of the film. He is a truly inspiring figure, and the representations of his compassion and love for the impoverished neighborhood he lives in do not feel at all forced.

In fact, none of the film did, except for a small scene toward the end, and each character was well-written and well-portrayed.

I definitely recommend this movie. I suppose some may find it preachy, but it is mostly an examination of love and hope, and how to continue on when they are lost. Or even better, how to regain them. 8/10

The description of the film as "Christian-oriented" almost made me not watch this movie. I thought it might be too preachy or religious for my taste. I am glad I gave Unconditional a chance because it was an excellent film with an overall good spiritual message and a message about how important one person can be in a community and how important a community can be for one person. Nothing about the plot is too original and plot was sometimes unbelievable or just too scripted. Yet I loved it. With so many movies and documentaries focused on fighting and violence, it was refreshing to see a movie that was so positive without being too cheesy. Excellent acting by everyone but especially Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy. In the tradition of Pay It Forward.