Redwoods (2009)

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Wow - some of the reviews of this movie are pretty harsh. I agree that it's by no means a masterpiece. The situations that arise in the film are a bit hard to believe and the acting isn't Oscar worthy. BUT - I still liked it. I found the end to be very poignant and worthy of a few tears. I thought about it for a few days afterwards. If you're looking for a cheesy, sappy, nice movie and you're not an armchair critic - give this one a go.

I'm not Jewish, but I'll use a Yiddish term here. Does anyone know the meaning of "schmaltz"? The definition is "excessive sentimentality, esp. in music or movies", and there was plenty of excessive sentimentality going around in Redwoods.The story revolves around two gay characters, one being a stuck-in-a-rut type guy (Bradley) whose relationship is going nowhere, and the other being a "lost soul" (Montgomery) trying to find himself. Montgomery's character Chase tries to find the nearest B&B to finish his book and gets lost on the wrong street. He asks for directions from Everett and while giving directions, there is a spark and the two eventually fall in love. This is so wrong, because a) it happens too quickly, and b) Everett is already in a relationship.While Everett's partner and son are away, Chase and Everett spend a lot of time together and then Everett's partner calls and says he's coming back early. The relationship between Chase and Everett has to end abruptly but they make a point to meet at the same place at the same time, 5 years from now. Unfortnately Chase doesn't make it back (he has a good reason) and then we get the schmaltzy ending.Redwoods is nice, scenery wise, but is full of cheesy acting and moments where there is too much silence or not enough movement to keep the viewer interested. Parts of it are slow and poorly acted. With a better cast and supporting characters, this could have been a really good gay tear-jerker but it falls short of that due to characters who don't put their heart and soul into their roles.I've seen lots of gay-themed movies, and this one falls way down the list near the bottom, right above "And Then Came Summer". If you want to get all verklempt, skip this one and watch "Prayers for Bobby", then you'll know what good acting is.

I have seen a lot of gay movies. Redwoods definitely beats most of them. It is a must see film about two men who fall in love. It is a beautiful love story and when I watched it I simply fell in love with it. All the characters are so convincing! Sometimes you feel that Everett is lost.. but he is lost because of what happens in the end... loved that scene.. Chase (Matthew) - he is so convincing! The chemistry between the men is so instant and the story just grabs u.. so cool!! I've already watched it 3 times and may watch it again soon. Movie is outstanding and writing + cinematography are superb! Only wish, that the ending was happier...

After seeing this flick and reading the reviews I wonder if we saw the same movie. It is obvious that the director tried to shamelessly fashion this garbage after the masterpiece 'Brokeback Mountain' by using nature as backdrop to the story but has failed miserably. This film is so superficially shallow, loaded with cheap sentimental clichés, and unbelievable holes in the script. It is just another one in a long list of American gay cinema failures. Have any of these directors seen any French gay themed movies like 'It is only a question of love', or 'A love to hide' or any Asian gay movie which has a plausible and well told story? The characters are not well developed (same goes for the plot) and so unbelievable that at no point did I sympathize with them or cared about their fate. The dialog is predictable, boring, and too pedestrian for my taste. The relationships are not fully explained nor do they seem realistic; two gay men have a son in a rural America (and everybody seems fine with it?!), the son stops speaking for some never truly explained reason, the main protagonists' love affair happens (and deepens) within a matter of few days only, their dialog could have been lifted from any cheap hetero romance novels, etc… There is a legitimate reason why these actors have not made into mainstream movies: they have neither charisma nor talent.