Wake Before I Die (2011)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Absolutely the worst movie.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

My husband and I really loved this movie. When the credits started, we knew that it was going to really be suspenseful. It made us care for the characters, and when they were placed in great danger by some very bad people, it kept us on the edge of our seats. Every scene reminded us of the constant battle between light and darkness. The cast was amazing. The preacher and his family were very believable, and the cult members were cold and very threatening. This is demonstrated when one of them is being ordained. As he kneels before the congregation, he coolly looks into the innocent face of the boy whose father he has just killed and silently chides him for not having his eyes closed during the prayer. That single scene showed clearly what kind of people we were dealing with. We have told our friends about it, and hope that we can bring them with us to see it the next time. Maybe a sequel would be great too.

I can remember a time when movies really took the trouble to build a relationship between the characters and the audience. This movie certainly does that. It carefully allows us to know and care for the Pastor and his family. Then, when they are placed into great danger, we have an emotional investment that adds to the thrill factor. Every performance is right on. The family seems real and the cult members are cold and dangerous. It's like being drawn into a world filled with light and shadow, each element fighting to rule the screen. I love film noir, and this movie reminds me of why I do. The tone and structure of the film are carefully drawn, and the result is a movie to enjoy and remember long after it's over. Kudos to everyone in front of and behind the camera. A great time at the movies.

I thought one of the best parts of this film was the young actor who played the pastor's son. Finding a watchable, and BELIEVABLE, child actor who can carry so much screen time is a challenge in itself, let alone in a smaller city like Portland where the infrastructure is not yet in place to churn out the hordes of well-trained young stars-aspirant that directors have access to in LA, for instance. So kudos to Elijah Nelson for his performance, and to the filmmakers for casting him.Not a filmmaker myself, I refuse to really speak to the film's more technical aspects...besides saying that MAKING A GOOD MOVIE IS HARD, why don't YOU try it and then come back and spout opinions! I am proud of our local boys for using the Opif to create something fitting for mainstream cinema, with professional production values all around. I think many of the deficiencies mentioned by our aspiring film critics (like spotty writing, over-scoring, etc.) are typical pitfalls of a film that is written, directed, edited, and produced all by the same team of people. To quote a favorite acting teacher of mine, they "fall in love with their own material," and have a hard time taking the axe to their product to really whittle it into something marketable, concise, and of quality. As the local industry grows, however, I am sure filmmakers will be able to avoid this trap more and more often. Oregon has such a talented and qualified pool of film workers that second and third opinions can't help but start to mean something.

I really enjoyed the movie which contained some mystery about who was good and who was evil. There were a religious and cult elements that made the movie both interesting and creepy. In the end you are left with the sense that while there are some good church people out there...there are way more evil ones. There is definitely an undertone that there are just people out there that don't have a clue about what is actually good and what isn't and they are easily swayed by those who believe strongly one way or another. The idea that there are people willing to kill for what they believe - not defending what they believe but that advancing their agenda gives them license to kill - holds true in today's world which makes the movie relevant in that sense. The characters in the movie who are faced with that element struggle to find the line where they should stand. Mostly though, the movie is just about really creepy bad guys trying to take over a small town and the good guys trying not to die and give up.