Neo Ned (2005)

Director:

Van Fischer

Writer:

Tim Boughn (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Like most kids, Ned idolized his father and dreamed of following in his footsteps. Unfortunately, his...

Plot Keywords:

Interracial Romance | Beautiful Woman | Winner | Character Name In Title

Awards:

10 wins

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jeremy Renner	...	Ned
Gabrielle Union	...	Rachael
Sally Kirkland	...	Shelly
Cary Elwes	...	Dr. Magnuson
Ethan Suplee	...	Johnny - Orderly
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	Joey
Steve Railsback	...	Mr. Day
Richard Riehle	...	Officer Pendleton
Michael Shamus Wiles	...	Dad
Giuseppe Andrews	...	Randall
Tatum McCann	...	Emily playground girl
Robert Peters	...	Ed Epps
Aisha Hinds	...	Rachel
Joanne Baron	...	Ned's foster mom
Lyndon Smith	...	Young Ned

Runtime:

USA:97 min (Tribeca Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Lincoln Heights Jail - 401 N. Avenue 19, Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kismet Entertainment Group

Trivia:

Tatyana Ali was originally slated for the role of Rachael.

Captivating, Jeremy & Gabrielle Give Career-Bests!

This film played here for the San Diego film festival this weekend (it later moves to an L.A. one, allowing it to qualify for the Independent Spirit Awards). My thoughts...THIS IS THE BEST FILM I'VE SEEN THIS YEAR!

MY REVIEW: Before walking into the film, I didn't know what to expect. After all, it WAS about a Neo Nazi falling for a black woman who believes she's Adolf Hitler reincarnated. But right from the start, you fall for the two leading characters. There's the indie factor (in terms of video quality) but it suits the film just fine. It's not a big budget film, nor was it supposed to be; its focus is in telling the story, raw and heartfelt.

Now, I ABSOLUTELY loved this film. It's got to be the best film I've seen this year (and trust me, I've seen plenty award-worthy ones so far). The performances are just simply amazing, sincere, and captivating. Both Jeremy (Renner) and Gabrielle (Union) deserve some kind of awards, if not Oscar nods. Unfortunately, I doubt that'll happen not unless this film manages to gain a distributer (which in the past 2 years it's attempted to, but the 'what demographic do we market this to?' question blocks that goal). But seriously, these two (and the film) deserve so many awards.

Jeremy as Ned, expresses this kind of vulnerability that's hidden beneath his gritty, rude & disruptive character, and that just shocks you in seeing that you fall for this type of character (because you know Nazi's don't say nice things). For Gabrielle, she perhaps does the best dramatic performance of her career. I'm surprised at how she was able to do the film, especially since her character suffered a past incident (rape, which she also has experienced in real life) that hinders her emotional state. It's just unbelievable at how much depth both actors were able to inhibit into their characters, particularly in two standout scenes. The film's pivotal scene that sets their relationship into gear is touchingly done, with my mind remembering how Halle Berry won her Oscar for "Monster's Ball". In addition, the second standout scene is towards the end, and it's just a turning point that you didn't expect to turn into something heartbreaking.

In all, the director did such a great job in filming the scenes and getting the best performances out of everyone (including Sally Kirkland as Jeremy's mom, and Eddie Kaye Thomas as a hospital patient). I just wish more people could see this film, preferably not just on DVD or cable, but in the theatrical experience; with an audience that laughs and cries throughout the film with you.