Child of God

source: Child of God

When me and my boyfriend saw this at the Redbox we thought it had some decent actors and sounded like it could be interesting so why not? We should have stayed away from this one, first reason being I felt the description was misleading. If the description had read **SPOILER ALERT** ""A deranged back woods necrophiliac finds friends in stuffed animals while sleeping around with dead back seat lovers" then perhaps it would have been accurate. Even "The 'No Country for Old Men' of West Virginia but with necrophilia" would have sufficed. This movie was deeply disturbing, but I can look past that as there are many disturbing movies that I don't feel wasted several hours of my life that I'll never get back. What really bothered me about this movie was the lack of an apparent plot line, or perhaps the movie was so freaking boring I couldn't concentrate on watching this movie long enough to pick up on it. Or maybe the author was only interested in writing hillbilly * for men with fantasies of sleeping with dead lifeless corpses. I haven't read the book and after seeing this I certainly won't be. As a last note, I usually enjoy James Franco's work but after seeing this I'm never taking his involvement as a sign that a movie is worth watching again.

With Corman McCarthy you know you're not going to get light , frothy family friendly fare . NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN saw film producers queue up to buy film rights for his novels and to be fair THE ROAD is one of the most memorable post apocalyptic American cinema has produced in a very long time , as long as you get past the unrelenting nihilistic mood . With CHILD OF GOD the same in your face attempt to shock the audience is present and at four minutes in the audience are treated to a graphic scene of a character doing a poo ! That gives you an idea of how the film continues and if you don't like CHILD OF GOD by this stage turn off and find90 minutes to do something else !!!!! SUGGESTIVE SPOILERS !!!!! Despite the cast being headed by the prolific James Franco who also directs Franco only appears in cameo . Instead the story is centered around Lester Ballard played by Scott Haze , an outsider of society whose unsocial behaviour eventually mutates in anti-social serial murder . It is a good performance and one wonders if Franco might have had one eye of the Oscars of getting Haze an Oscar nomination . It's certainly worthy of a nom and reading the trivia section we learn Haze takes method acting to new heights by preparing for the role by sleeping in the open and living in a cave . Perhaps by trying too hard the voters of these prestigious awards decided to ignore Haze for this very reason ? More likely however is that when you're playing a character it's essential that the audience emphasise with your aims . Now I don't mean the audience have to agree or sympathise with these aims but must understand them at the most basic fundamental level . Here we see Ballard embark on a killing spree . Fair enough , show me someone who doesn't harbour abstract murderous fantasies and I will show you a hypocritical liar but killing people because of motives of necrophilia is something entirely different . There might be reasons why having sex with a dead body is preferable to a live one but none springs to mind . I have also never watched a film thinking to myself "Hmmm not a bad film but we could have benefited from a few scenes of necrophilia inserted in to it" ; Like pooing necrophilia isn't a spectator sport . The fact that Franco shoots the film with hand-held cameras giving everything a cinema verite feel adds to the alienating feel CHILD OF GOD is an example of a film being well made and acted but also lives up to the phrase "It's not a film for everyone" .meaning it has little commercial appeal and isn't popcorn entertainment for the masses . Bleak and depressing it's one of these films I'm unsure I should have watched in the first place and I'm rather sure I have no compulsion to watch it again . You have been warned

James Franco seems to be trying to make a reputation for himself as a director who will tackle "classic novels" that were considered to be unfilmable, as he did with AS I LAY DYING. Let's say this about the Cormac McCarthy source novel, though. You will hear a lot of praise heaped upon it by the literary intellectuals. What you hear, though, is that the author has an original way with his prose, or that it's well known for a distinctive writing style that is missing common punctuation. What you don't usually hear is "this is a stunningly original and exciting story". It's the style that is praised more than the story. That has an obvious effect on this movie, then, as you cannot translate the prose to the screen (though Franco tries by injecting voice- overs and on screen text containing actual excerpts). What you are left with is a story that isn't all that exciting and has been done plenty of times. Yes, the necrophilia angle takes it further than most movies are willing to go, but in the end, this is just another Ed Gein influenced horror tales. What it desperately needed was to have something more happen in the actual events of the story. There is very little actual action and very little occurs in this movie. Prepare yourself to spend a great deal of the run time following our main character as he wanders around in the woods talking to himself. It is the main character and the acting by Scott Haze that is the central reason anyone would want to watch this movie. It is mainly a character study of one man, who we meet in the beginning clearly already suffering from mental illness. Through the course of the events of the story, we watch his mental health further degrade until he is little more than a primal animal, living in a cave and acting out his sexual deviances on whatever victims stumble his way. Haze does an excellent job of portraying this character, who mostly mumbles his way through the movie, putting the emphasis on Haze to portray the characters mental instability through his facial expression. The character could have become a cardboard cutout villain, but through the acting of Haze and some directing by Franco, the character definitely has his sympathetic moments where we feel for the situations that have put him down this course in life. Ultimately, though, I was just bored through most of the movie. I don't mind artistic. I don't mind low budget. I don't mind experimental. I am not someone who just doesn't have a tolerance for this style of film making. Instead, the only real action is a botched lynching that he escapes from far too conveniently. I just kept waiting for something to happen and it never did, including a huge letdown ending.

All-around "Renaissance Man", James Franco, directed and co-wrote this little period piece film based on the novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. Set in mountainous Sevier County, Tennessee, in the 1960s, "Child of God" tells the story of Lester Ballard, a dispossessed, violent man whom the narrator describes as "a child of God much like yourself perhaps." Ballard's life is a disastrous attempt to exist outside the social order of things. Deprived of parents and homes and with few other ties (after his parents die and he's kicked out of their home), Ballard descends literally- and figuratively- into that of a cave dweller as he falls deeper into crime and just all-around degradation. Okay, I must say, with my wicked, dark sense of humor, I actually found this quite amusing at times. Scott Haze, who plays Lester, would just get these looks on his face, and speak in that hillbilly gibberish (sometimes I think purposely so others wouldn't be able to understand his madness-?? LOL) and I would just crack up! Overall, I really enjoyed this piece. It will be interesting to see where Franco's directing career will be at ten years from now..??

'CHILD OF GOD': Four Stars (Out of Five) Director James Franco's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's 1973 novel (of the same name) about a violent outcast trying to survive on his own, in a world that's shun him; set in the beautiful mountains of 1960s Sevier County, Tennessee. Franco also costars in the movie and co-wrote it, with Vince Jolivette. The film also stars Scott Haze (as it's central character, Lester Ballard), as well as Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parrack, Brian Lally and Jolivette. I haven't read the book, and don't know how much justice Franco does to it, but this movie is definitely fascinating to watch. Haze plays Lester Ballard; a depraved man child who lost his parents at a very young age and was continuously rejected by society (all of his life). Forced to live on his own, in the mountains of 1960s Tennessee, Ballard becomes more and more mentally unstable, and increasingly violent, due to society's isolation of him. Nelson and Parrack play a sheriff and his deputy; who are following Ballard. Franco plays a man obsessed with taking the law into his own hands, against Ballard. While (as I've said) I can't comment on how this film lives up to the book that inspired it; I can say that it's almost equally as entertaining and interesting as other McCarthy film adaptations (like 'NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN', 'THE ROAD' and 'THE COUNSELOR'). All of these movies take a very disturbing and twisted look at human nature. I think Franco does as good a job, as the others, attempting to bring classic McCarthy literature to the big screen (although 'THE COUNSELOR' was actually an original screenplay, written by McCarthy). With this, and 'AS I LAY DYING' (from just last year), Franco continues to show what an amazingly talented and diverse filmmaker he can be. He does an incredible job of showing how society's alienation of someone can turn them to total madness. There is little light or hope here, which is it's main flaw, but it is a very interesting psychological character study and also a horrendously fascinating thriller. I can't wait to see what Franco does next! Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://youtu.be/NiZxP8LDXto

A One Man Freak Show, a Film Made by the Prolific (but rarely good) James Franco from the Controversial Cormac McCarthy Novel of the the Same Name, this is a Disgusting, Depraved, Demented Character Study About a Feral Character that No One of Sound Mind Would Want to Study. It is a Sideshow Show with a Geek at the Forefront for Nearly Two Hours as the Audience is Given Loving Closeups of Defecation and Ass-Wiping with a Stick. Now there is Something You Don't See Everyday Franco Seems to be Saying, Along with Inhaling and Exhaling Gobs of Snot. He's Right. But the Film is All Wrong. Boring, Incomprehensible Dialog, Long, Long Scenes of Repetition (dragging a corpse upstairs, slinking through a cave), that Go On Forever and Pad the Already Hard to Take Film into a Length that Defies its Content. Much Acclaim has been Awarded to Scott Haze as the Title Character but Truth be Told it is an Easy Part, with some Physical Strain. The Mumbling and Staring Eyes are Forever Present and it isn't a Performance it's Mugging and Not Much of a Stretch Once the Actor is Dirtied Up and Left to Run Amok Amongst the Damp and Depressing Scenery. Overall, it is an Indulgent bit of Carnival that is One More Take on the Ed Gein Story and After Psycho (1960) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1972) did We Need Another? The Answer, at Least After Enduring This Bit of Nastiness, is (with a Rebel Yell)...Noooo.

For those who've not yet partaken in the depraved and deranged dealings of Cormac McCarthy's 1973 book Child of God you are in for one almighty shock if you by chance stumble upon this new James Franco directed effort, a tale that is utterly original in all its triumphs and shortcomings and a tale that deals with some seriously tricky business that on page seemed almost too much to ever commit to screen but thanks to an obvious commitment to the text by Franco the film works to a level that marks the event as an oddity not unworthy of seeking out. Franco who has long held affiliation with a desire to transform McCarthy's more insane and often controversial works to screen here goes for much of the same aesthetic he created in his last directional outing As I Lay Dying, a low budget yet gritty feel that uses it's natural surrounds to good effect and gives off the illusion of a bigger project. Franco harbors a good feel for not only Lester Ballard the creation but also his world, the feel of the lonely mountains and the people that inhabit them is captured to great effect and visions so vividly written in the book are bought to life here in many respects. With the world captured so foreign too many of us, Franco in the form of actor Scott Haze has found someone that against all odds is Lester Ballard and leads the story of insanity forward. Without spoiling the character for those uninitiated, Lester Ballard is a thoroughly despicable and complex creation, a man who despite clearly not being of sane mind is also a man who knows better than the acts he commits. Haze owns this "child of god" from small mannerisms through to out and out rage, from random lonely road discoveries to questionable hair and makeup, Haze gets Lester right. Haze is the focus point of the picture with only small appearances by Tim Blake Nelson and Franco himself it's clear that this film is built by Haze but there is only so far his performance can carry a picture that in the end is dealing with material mighty hard to not only relate to but to tolerate and it's a commendable feat to the filmmakers that you won't be reaching for the off switch a mere 30 minutes in for make no doubt about it there are mightily tough and mature themes the film deals with. Child of God is a film you feel will slowly be discovered by an unknowing audience who will react strongly either way in favour or hatred to a tale that provides no reason for things being the way they are. For those who are familiar with the text this is a very strong attempt at turning an almost un-filmable book into a quality film and as it stands is another fine turn by Franco as a director in what is shaping up to be an interesting career behind the camera. 3 conniving stuffed toys out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

YYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeEEEEEEEEEEEEeessssSSSSSSSSsss, I finally watched it (REPEAT, watched it, watched it - suggest EVERYONE RUN to watch it VERY SOON as it will become another CLASSIC of Franco's). NOVEL - READ OR NOT TO READ FIRST: OOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhh WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!I'm a huge fan of Franco's anyway (in my opinion, one of the best actors of his generation and a wonderful unique director), and maybe, I'm a little bit biased at times when it comes to James Franco BUT and a VERY SERIOUS BUT after, reading sometime ago the brilliantly NASTY Southern Gothic novel (I mean come on necrophilia and murder - seriously don't try anything Lester Ballard does KIDS) by the great Cormac McCarthy (you don't necessary have to read this great novel first BUT it MIGHT truly help ground some audience members perspective better in terms of the SHOCK VALUE), this movie indeed NAILED IT (Cormac McCarthy should be PROUD) in terms of what I could remember from the novel including it's TONE in what I wanted to see. MAIN CHARACTER: For those who don't know the main focus of the novel/movie is a character called Lester Ballard "dispossessed violent man" with an Oscar winning performance by Scott Haze. YES, it's all TRUE folks, he DOES indeed give an Oscar winning performance AND a performance that will be remembered for MANY years to come. Simply put, it's just masterful. That three/four months living in caves plus losing some weight to prepare for this role paid off nicely for Scott (WELL DONE). I truly hope Haze is nominated for an Oscar (A MUST SEE PERFORMANCE, even if you watch this movie only once - watch this movie through to the end, but I think most will watch it more than once, after the initial what the f**k did I just witnessed) as well as Franco (remember, no one has ever tried to adapt this NOVEL and Franco NAILED IT, NNNNNAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLLEEEEEEDDDDD IIIIIIITTTTTTT - yet again). No wonder, Franco recently WON the Wilde Artist of the Year (honoring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theatre and/or television) - GALECA AND achieved the Venice Film Festival Glory to the Filmmaker Award for The Sound And The Fury (after watching Child of God - the HYPE went into overdrive to SEE THIS NEXT ONE). By the way, shout out to Tim Blake Nelson as Sheriff Fate, and Nina Ljeti as Victim 1, they gave great performances. PARTS: Anyway, the movie IS split into three parts with clear title cards and I loved the music and the narration which made you understand Ballard's story even better. Again, it totally got the feel of the novel, especially with the cinematography and all the technical aspects. COMPLAINTS: I know some folks have questioned Scott Haze teeth of all things in this movie but I personally couldn't take my eyes of his outstanding performance as a whole, so wasn't interested in just focusing on his teeth being maybe too white or not (who truly cares). Also, I'm no expert BUT I saw NOTHING wrong in any areas of problems with the Sound-Mixing, Editing, Colour Grading, etc. IMPORTANT: For the SMALL budget that Franco HAD, which came out of his OWN pocket, I think everyone involved NAILED IT. Although, it's perfectly understandable that NOT everyone will like this movie as I have mentioned before necrophilia and murder (Yikes NO, NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO) but it's not the QUALITY of Franco's directing that might put SOME people off (GREAT DIRECTOR), just the subject matters. CONCLUSION: I suggest FANS of Franco/McCarthy/Southern Gothic/Horror/LOVE OF GREAT UNIQUE MOVIES or whatever the latest catchy names are for this type of movies, OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGG, SEE this low budget BUT excellent masterpiece! Seriously, thanks Franco and everyONE INVOLVED.

It's a surprise to some that James Franco has carved a little corner for himself in the Hollywood scene, much less capable of directing films. Child of God isn't his first foray in the director's chair, but it is most certainly one of his more intriguingly creepier films, mostly thanks to the source material by Cormac McCarthy. While the movie might not appeal to a larger audience, there's no doubt that the its lead actor Scott Haze will be getting praise for his fantastic performance as the grizzly and socially inept lead character. Lester Ballard (Scott Haze) has no home, family, or friends to speak of. He's been abandoned by everything humans essentially need to keep going and is living outside the social order. Ballard is uneducated, can barely speak in complete and understandable sentences, and lives in the woods outside of town. Mostly, he keeps to himself, save for the times he gets arrested by the town's police for disturbing the peace or some other minor incident. Alone and away from any form of human contact, Ballard happens across a car one night where a young couple has stopped to have sex where there are no interruptions. Ballard leaves and comes across the car again a few hours later only to find the car still running and the couple dead. Never having any human contact, Ballard has sex with the dead girl and then drags her back to his cabin, makes sure she's comfortable, and then later goes shopping to find her a pretty dress to wear. Creeped out yet? Because it gets weirder. Up to this point, though Ballard's actions are extremely disturbing, he doesn't harm anybody living and keeps mostly to himself. But one night, he wakes up in the middle of the night to a fire in his cabin. He manages to get out and tries to rescue his very dead girlfriend, but she gets burned up and essentially dies a second time. The loss of his only human contact drives Ballard over the edge and turns him into something even more disturbing: a cave-dwelling, psychopath and murderous necrophiliac. The subject matter can get extremely uncomfortable and disturbing at several points in the film. Cormac McCarthy's work is always difficult to bring to the screen and it's noticeable throughout the first half of the movie. The film is split into three acts, with some narration included in the first act as background information. The rest of this review will be praise for Scott Haze's portrayal of Lester Ballard. Haze went into isolation for three months for this role and claims it changed his life. He pulls out all the stops and is practically unrecognizable while on screen. Haze does some pretty disgusting things, and his performance is downright disturbing, creepy, and shudder-inducing. The actor outshines the rest of the film, especially in the final half of the film and whether or not you'll find the movie enjoyable, Haze gives one of the best performances of the year. He's fantastic and his work in this film deserves an award. The novel by Cormac McCarthy is dense and often hard to interpret, as is the film adaptation. Child of God is a mediocre attempt to bring McCarthy's disturbed character to life. The material is uncomfortable and more creepy than a lot of things you'll see in theaters this year. If you're incensed really easily, then this may not be for you, but it's ultimately worth watching for Scott Haze's performance alone.