And here we have the reason why Christian filmmakers get such a bad rap. Not only is this an awful cliché driven Christian film, it is an awful film - period. I don't know where to begin, but I'll try.
First, I'll point out the ridiculous gimmick of having what I believe to be Morgan Freeman's stand-in playing the I Am. Upon seeing him in the trailer, I knew the movie was going to stink. Relying on gimmicks to get people in the seats will only work on the first showing. After that, it's all word of mouth and the words are "stay away."
Second, there was just too much going on. All of the characters were the same.They were uninteresting, bland, and forgettable. I often caught myself saying, "Now, who is that again?" The dialogue didn't mix things up either. Everything was on the nose. The message came before the method on this one in a big way.
Third, the camera work was, at best, the type of footage you would get from a royalty free video library. Almost every scene was heavily painted with colorful lighting of reds, blues, golden hues, and stark whites. Cecil B. Demille forbid the DP actually just use natural lighting or have a reason for lighting the way he did. I can handle heavily lighted scenes, but only if they serve a purpose. The only purpose I suppose this DP had was that he had access to a larger grip truck he wasn't normally used to. Just because you have all of the tools doesn't mean you have to use them all, partner.
Finally, I Am is a great example of what happens when you have someone with access to enough money to buy or rent the best equipment and thinks he can make a film. I can hear it now: forget story, it'll look awesome! I'm sorry to say, but you made moving pictures with sound, but a film it is not. As a writer and a filmmaker, I am insulted.
First, I'll point out the ridiculous gimmick of having what I believe to be Morgan Freeman's stand-in playing the I Am. Upon seeing him in the trailer, I knew the movie was going to stink. Relying on gimmicks to get people in the seats will only work on the first showing. After that, it's all word of mouth and the words are "stay away."
Second, there was just too much going on. All of the characters were the same.They were uninteresting, bland, and forgettable. I often caught myself saying, "Now, who is that again?" The dialogue didn't mix things up either. Everything was on the nose. The message came before the method on this one in a big way.
Third, the camera work was, at best, the type of footage you would get from a royalty free video library. Almost every scene was heavily painted with colorful lighting of reds, blues, golden hues, and stark whites. Cecil B. Demille forbid the DP actually just use natural lighting or have a reason for lighting the way he did. I can handle heavily lighted scenes, but only if they serve a purpose. The only purpose I suppose this DP had was that he had access to a larger grip truck he wasn't normally used to. Just because you have all of the tools doesn't mean you have to use them all, partner.
Finally, I Am is a great example of what happens when you have someone with access to enough money to buy or rent the best equipment and thinks he can make a film. I can hear it now: forget story, it'll look awesome! I'm sorry to say, but you made moving pictures with sound, but a film it is not. As a writer and a filmmaker, I am insulted.