Unconditional (IV) (2012) User Reviews

Solid, compelling storytelling, if slightly overdramatized

[user-271-555103 · 8/10 · 5 September 2012]

I got to see an early showing of this film, and went in knowing very little about it. When a special message for my screening played, describing the process of making it and revealing that it was coming from Harbinger, a media company "created to produce high quality theatrical films that honor God," I groaned a bit internally, fearing a trite, preachy, overly earnest two hours.

The film was wonderful. Beautiful, even.

It tells the story of Samantha Crawford, a woman whose life is falling apart. Her husband has been killed in a senseless incident, and she is severely depressed. Through a seemingly random encounter with two girls, she is reunited with one of her oldest friends, Joe Bradford.

I'm not sure whether or not the character of Samantha exists, but the parts about Bradford are all based on the actual man, who was involved in the production of the film. He is a truly inspiring figure, and the representations of his compassion and love for the impoverished neighborhood he lives in do not feel at all forced.

In fact, none of the film did, except for a small scene toward the end, and each character was well-written and well-portrayed.

I definitely recommend this movie. I suppose some may find it preachy, but it is mostly an examination of love and hope, and how to continue on when they are lost. Or even better, how to regain them. 8/10

UNCONDITIONAL Is Unconvincing in Many Ways but Remains Meaningful and Enjoyable

[doug_park2001 · 7/10 · 6 March 2013]

As you may already be aware, this is a Christian film based partly on the life and work of "Papa Joe" Bradford, a former convict who founded a special program for "at risk" children in Nashville, Tennessee. While there is a definite religious agenda here, it's not too preachy and avoids promoting any specific church or doctrine.

The main reason why I give this as high a rating as I do is that the story of Samantha Crawford's search for her husband's murderer is quite riveting in places; there are some truly suspenseful and surprising moments here. Most of the acting is quite good, as is the cinematography, which shows some really captivating shots of storm clouds, waterfalls, and the like, as well as realistic filming of inner-city Nashville.

Still, the plot is all over the place, and the stories of Samantha and her childhood friend Joe do not intertwine quite as well as they could. The pervasive and schmaltzy soundtrack is distracting and seems a bit too intent on telling us how to feel about this and that. This entire film would have worked so much better if there had been more focus on simply relating the stories without trying to manipulate the audience's perceptions and emotions. While to its credit, the central Christian message keeps itself out of the film until toward the end, UNCONDITIONAL always seems to be on the verge of making some heavy-handed moral. The time-frame is also unclear; e.g., Joe Bradford is incarcerated for computer hacking, yet they still play phonograph records in the prison(?) While the film tries to be grittily realistic in places, the final effect falls flat, i.e., "We can show bloody murder, inner-city life in the 'projects,' and prison brawls, but _please_, no f-bombs, sexual references, or any of that type of stuff!!" The dialog is probably the most problematical element here. The creators were obviously trying to avoid an "R" rating, but this could have been better accomplished by simply having less (or at least less audible) dialog in the rougher spots.

Such is also the case with the ludicrously fake prison-yard fight scene. In the Special Features, one of the directors states that the actual fight that occurred during Joe Bradford's incarceration was "much more brutal than we could show on film." That being the case, it would have been more effective just to show the whole thing summarily and/or hazily, allowing the audience to tell what's going on without having to see it in graphic detail.

All the same, UNCONDITIONAL has many fine moments. The children (and theme of childhood in general) are particularly great in every respect. Bradford's first encounter with God's love (while in isolation during his prison stay) is also extremely well-done and worthy of mention.

don't judge till the end...

[andy_claudy8 · 7/10 · 10 March 2013]

Well I decided to write my 1st review since I kinda understand why this movie critics were so mixed. Must say it was not what I expected to be but not in a bad way... I did not know if I hated or loved this movie till the end...started watching it very late at night and felt asleep, in the morning I felt I should give it try and see it till the end since I could not rate it otherwise. Well I'm glad I did. It has a deep message, emotional and beautiful picture and music. It is true that scrip could have been better and in some occasions is a little bit over dramatic but in the end it all makes sense. So... my advice, don't judge too soon ;)

Spectacular

[susan-ra-long · 10/10 · 23 September 2012]

I absolutely love this movie, I had no idea that this movie would move me the way that is has. The story of the two characters and how they intersect in each others lives is wonderfully played out. I agree with the other reviews that the movie didn't seem forced at all because it seems its based on fact and not fiction. I was in tears, I laughed , and cried again. This story of unconditional love and redemption is wonderful. To make it even better the basis of the movie had in it the LOVE of God, many people may not appreciate that but its a beautiful concept to be placed in such a wonderful plot. The words to use for how I feel about this movie, I find none because it was just that awesome.

Not a dry eye...

[alex_clair-269-877106 · 30 September 2012]

I saw this movie last night. Afterwards had dinner with the producer's parents so was fun to get the back-story. I went in not expecting much since many smaller budget, independent films don't deliver. But... happy to report this was a very good film. It was well directed and acted. The writing flowed and technically sound. In other words, there was no element which distracted from being in the film and with the characters as the plot unfolded. The little boy that played the part of Macon must have a bright career ahead of him. Casting agents should give him consideration. I so agreed with the social dynamic of fatherlessness in America and how this impacts destiny. At the end of the film the audience actually applauded. I've only seen this once before in all my years of movie-viewing. By all means go and see this film. Or... put it on your list to rent when the DVD comes out. I'll be doing the same because I'll want to view it a second time and then pass along to my son and his family.

Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy good acting

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 18 October 2013]

Sam Crawford (Lynn Collins) and Joe Bradford (Michael Ealy) are childhood friends who reconnects under difficult circumstances. She has lost her loving husband in a violent crime. She is suicidal and about to shoot herself when she runs to the aid of two little kids. They got run over after committing a petty crime. Sam finds that Joe is their mentor. In fact he's a mentor for many fatherless neighborhood kids even with his failing health.

This falls under the category of Christian film. The themes aren't too over the top. It's embedded into the story and is very watchable. The only problem is that there are a few too many coincidences to start this off with. Although it purports to be inspired by real life, this strikes an artificial note in the story.

Lynn Collins is very compelling as this character. She strips down to show some emotions in this role. Michael Ealy is good as the saintly Joe without being preachy. The little kids are pretty good too, especially Kwesi Boakye who plays Macon.

An unexpected surprise ... excellent in every sense of the word

[debsmith · 10/10 · 23 September 2012]

I went into this movie with no expectations, but loved - loved - loved it! So many great messages, ideas, concepts ... I'll be thinking about this movie for a long time forward. It's full of Biblical concepts, but doesn't feel the least bit "preachy". Honor the PG-13 rating and don't take younger kids ... although the concepts of love, acceptance, struggle, faith, hope, etc. are universal, there is some violence and some of the subjects/themes are in many ways adult (as in grown-up, not as in sexual). Again, loved the movie and want to see it again to better soak in the details ... I may have missed something due to the tears (both sad & happy ones).

Not Bad - Can Get Into It Though

[cB391 · 6/10 · 2 May 2013]

This is an overview of the movie without giving away anything as some people do like to go into a movie cold. The main characters have opposite lives connected by common events. Both have their faith in God questioned at key moments in their lives. They respond asymmetrically and this leads them through different paths. While the story does focus on how God's love is unconditional, it goes past the obvious message and suggests that people make the changes in the world that they want to see. The movie will start of slow, and fast forwarding might be a nice option. As you get to the middle of the movie, there are some funny scenes, a little action and an attempt to build a complex storyline based on the interconnectedness of the main characters and the supporting cast of children.

6/10 - Definitely worth a watch, it might make you feel good - but does leave some annoying questions that go unanswered, some stereotypical characters that do exist to further the storyline, but all in all it is an enjoyable second half - wouldn't recommend for children solely because it is a complex storyline that might be a bit tough to follow.

Excellent Film

[kplorax · 10/10 · 13 June 2013]

The description of the film as "Christian-oriented" almost made me not watch this movie. I thought it might be too preachy or religious for my taste. I am glad I gave Unconditional a chance because it was an excellent film with an overall good spiritual message and a message about how important one person can be in a community and how important a community can be for one person. Nothing about the plot is too original and plot was sometimes unbelievable or just too scripted. Yet I loved it. With so many movies and documentaries focused on fighting and violence, it was refreshing to see a movie that was so positive without being too cheesy. Excellent acting by everyone but especially Lynn Collins and Michael Ealy. In the tradition of Pay It Forward.

Pulling On the Heart Strings

[carusosam-19759 · 7/10 · 8 May 2018]

SPOILER: Pulling On the Heart Strings The movie Unconditional was a very moving portrayal of a true story. I really liked the relationship the character Sam played Lynn Collins and Joe played by Michael Ealy had with the children. Even though Joe had a rough past he found God and turned his life around to help at risk kids. I think a big theme in this movie was how small acts of kindness makes a big difference in their lives. It's a touching true story. This movie is about Joe trying to make a difference with a group of as risk children. He creates an amazing bond with all the kids. I really liked when Sam "invited' all the kids to the farm. I liked how she helped Keisha be able to talk again. I also like the bond between Joe and Macon played by Kwesi Boakye. SPOLIER ALERT. I liked how when Joe was in the hospital Macon asked him to be his dad. I think Sam and Joe had a beautiful friendship. I like how Joe tells the stories of how she saved his life. They have been friends since they were very young. I also liked how they had flashbacks of those times as well. While I did enjoy the film there were a few things I thought could have been better. I thought the film was a bit cheesy. The scene when Sam opens the barn doors and walks through the ran wasn't needed. SPOILER ALERT. I also think the scene when Keisha talked to the horse was very cheesy with the music. I think making a great story overly cheesy takes away from the story and important points are lost. I really liked Michael Ealy as Joe. He did a great job capturing the real Joe. I think he is an amazing actor. He is more relatable because of his rough past. He isn't Mr. Perfect. I did not care too much for Lynn Collins as Sam. I think a better actress could have been chosen to play her. She was over dramatic, cheesy and bad at fake crying. Overall I thought the movie had a really good story line. I think most of the actors were pretty good. I think the truth was told well throughout the movie. The cheesiness of the movie took away from the good story though. I would this movie a 7 out of 10 stars.

It almost got me..

[zentist-563-976986 · 4/10 · 9 March 2013]

This movie has to be made for TV, but that does not, in itself, make it a bad movie. I had read some reviews and was open-minded. The start was reasonable and gave no immediate notice of the movie's overtly Christian message although, looking back, the signs were all there from the very start. The primary female role is the white widow of a perfect white husband who was killed in a predominantly black area. I thought I was in for a revenge, Kill Bill style movie but was sadly disappointed. I guess revenge is not a Christian value since even though we find out who killed the husband (a white guy) by the time the once grieving wife finds out she has lost interest in revenge. If you like the Christian uplifting genre,then this is good movie for you but if you do not then you will start to feel sticky with the sugary sentiment about half way through and by the end will feel conned.

What a Movie should be!

[astee614 · 10/10 · 21 September 2012]

Hollywood has got it in there heads that a movie should have sexually suggestive material, pervasive language, and blood and gore all throughout the film in order to make a good movie.

Well Unconditional proves that you don't have to have those elements in order to have a great movie. Unconditional pulls at your heart in many ways. It makes you laugh and cry several times. Michael Ealy and Lynn Collins both give great honest performances. All of the kids do too.

This is an inspiring film for all to see. Please go and watch this movie and buy it when it comes out. Show your kids these kinds of movies and let them know God loves them all the time.

Unconditional

[refuselose90 · 7/10 · 18 February 2016]

One of the main characters, Samantha, played by Lynn Collins. She is important because of the tragedy that happened in her life lead her down a dark, path but an old friend and his dedication with children gave her love and taught her hope.A couple more important characters of the movie are Joe, played by Micheal Ealy, Billy, played by Diego Klattenhoff, Anthony, played by Cedric Pendleton, Macon, played by Kwesi Boakye, and Keisha, played by Gabriella Phillips. Without Keisha and Macon in this movie, there would be no back story behind Sam. Anthony is basically this sketchy guy that lives next to Macon and Keisha. Billy is Sam's husband, whom is the motive on why everything changes. Joe is Sam's old friend from her childhood who helps support and helps some of the kids with getting food in their homes and helps them get decent grades and rewards them for it.

The whole point of this movie is to show that no matter how hard life is or gets, with a little bit of wishing to change and hope life will get better. Another lesson of this movie is to always spread love to strangers wherever you go. who knows it might help you in the end. Most of the story took place in Joe's backyard, Sam's barn, and in Macon and Keisha's house or neighborhood. More morals included in this movie is just flat out being nice to people.

As far as the actors and actresses performances go, i feel like Joe did a great job showing emotion for the part and also made an amazing representation of the Joe from the actual real life events. Samantha also showed a lot of emotion, but i really didn't like her voice and really southern accent. Macon and Keisha were great, i loved the symbolism of Keisha's speech. I fell Like the actor Anthony didn't show enough emotion for his part most of the movie but the end was performed great!

What I liked about the movie is how the actors captured the feelings and tone in the movie. I loved the barn scene with Joe telling the story of how Samantha's country music saved his life in prison. I also loved the symbolism of the bird and the two dollar bill. Some things I didn't like about the movie was the sound of Samantha's voice and her strong southern accent. I feel like that her accent really didn't blend in with the plot.

Lessons are a big part of this movie. One lesson is that, if it's not a dead end road if it takes you where you need to go.Another lesson is that when nothing's going right, go left. Or that helping others can get your own life in place.

Jillian is a 17 year old Culinary Arts student. She likes to hang out with friends, read, and cook. She would suggest this movie to people who like drama, romance, and feel good movies. This movie isn't for people who only like action and cuss words. Or the common bloody and violent movies.

Unconditionally terrible

[christiannlong · 1/10 · 8 May 2018]

Right off the bat as soon as the movie started I had the feeling of too much drama. It introduces the characters in a very dumb fashion to which I myself was confused upon watching. The movie begins with the main character (Sam) entering an ally way and attempting to pull a gun on herself, it then quickly jumps around from her to these small children one of which doesn't stop talk the other doesn't talk at all which I understand it was setting up a plot point for later on in the movie but I didn't see it as anything but a pointless addition with the intention of making the story hard to understand anyways I'm getting off track, it then transferred to joe trying to get into his house so he could get his dialysis but that wasn't explained if it wasn't for someone telling me that I wouldn't have had a clue I just thought it was someone trying to break into a house then he fell and I was just confused. It's a very stupid way to introduce the characters anyways it jumps back to the kids running after trying to steal food and the mute one gets hit by a car Sam sees this connecting the two side plots into one they go to the hospital where Sam runs into joe who is the local caregiver of the children in his area the child who was hit is one of his so that's all three stories connected as well as joe and Sam are old friends who haven't spoke since they were young. I'd love to give positives about the movie but frankly I can't think of any the movie was just awful I couldn't keep my attention I genuinely can't stand this movie. The characters were awful I like the actor who played joe but I hate that he played this character. Film sucked I did this for a grade.

Extraordinary!

[sassyladyceo-648-958919 · 10/10 · 1 April 2013]

I was moved by the trailer, yet the movie really blew me away! I figured this would be an average B rated movie with a nice Christian plot to it. My kids ended up coming into the room and could not get up. This is the exposure to what is really going on in America right now with children. Fathers are SO important! Kudos to the actors and OMG to the children and even the horse. Certain scenes just had us crying. Rent this and you won't be disappointed! The other thing I liked was how a man actually found himself in prison and when he got out was actually a BETTER person and found love and happiness...WONDERFUL! thanks so much for a message of HOPE. God bless.

profound honesty

[Vincentiu · 9 July 2013]

it is not great or extraordinary. it is only honest. basic honest. with not huge ambitions to impress but perfect seed for a lot of questions. it is a Christian film but in a delicate and special manner. it is a film about love but in a different style by common vision. it is story of a meeting. and its basis is a real fact. it is strange to write about it because it is out of definitions. or rules. for many it can be boring. for others - a life lesson. but, in fact, it is only a letter. about usual things, soft feelings, need of the other. joy and hope and truth. at first sigh, a pink movie. but it is only a seed. the viewer has each instrument to say his personal verdict. it is not a bad idea to see it. maybe, for a small isle of peace.

A warm, Loving, Fuzzy Movie

[p-72791 · 7/10 · 27 April 2015]

Unconditional is based on a true story of Joe Bradford. He grew up in a rural part of Tennessee. He developed kidney disease early in his life. Samantha Crawford lived a good life. She was happily married on a nice ranch. She had her horse there too and she told stories and illustrated her life and they later became books. Sam and Joe both help with children in their community. They take them to Sam's ranch for the weekend. They changed kid's life in great ways but the kids changed Sam and Joe also in a very good way. They changed the way they see things in life. I thought this was a good movie but I am more into action movies so I did not enjoy it as much myself. Unconditional had a great story line and I feel that Brent McCorkle did a great job directing it. Brent made it very emotional and really made the movie touch people in a way most movies can't. Joe and Sam where great characters in the movie played by Michael Ealy and Lynn Colin's. They both portrayed there characters very well. I think the director placed the songs in the movie perfectly. He had the right songs in the right places at the right time. The director also did an amazing job making the movie seem realistic. I did not notice any scenes in the movie that I thought where fake or didn't seem realistic.

Everything in the movie was also appropriate for the time and place like the houses where not to new for the time period the hospital did not have too fancy or new of equipment for the time period and the place it was at. I feel like the movie was the right length for what it was. I enjoyed the movie a lot and it kept me watching the whole time. I think the director and the actors did a great job making this movie. I thought this movie overall was really good. The only thing I didn't really like about it was that it had a lot of sad parts in it like when Sam tried to kill herself and when Joe had to go to the hospital. The movie also had a lot of good times in it at the farm with the kids when the kids changed Sam's view on life and the way she acted. I would recommend that everyone watch this movie it was a very good movie. The director did a great job with ending the movie too so you aren't done watching the movie and sad. It is also a great inspirational movie to look at life in different ways and to try new things in life that are good for you and the people around you. I think I will rate this movie a 4 out of 5 because I am more into action movies myself and not much into sad movies. But I also liked this movie because it was very interesting to see how the actor brought Sam and Joe back together and had them both change each other's lives together.

Great Film!

[kmelzinga · 9/10 · 31 May 2013]

I am disappointed that this movie did not see better box office ratings. It has many of the hallmarks of great movie-making.

The cinematography is terrific and a lot of thought is given to symbolism in the story.

The opening sequence is riveting; showing three lost souls each experiencing their own trials and turmoil.

A woman, whose husband was murdered, considers suicide in the alley where he was killed.

At the same time, two children are stealing from a store and must flee when spotted by security.

Finally, a man stumbles into his house in great pain.

While each character is suffering his or her trial, a storm is raging outside in the night.

Each character is on his or her own path and must face the storm in his or her own way.

Throughout the movie we learn a great deal about these characters through flashbacks as well as about the joys and hardships that bring each of the characters to where he or she is in the present. We do not know for sure what the fate of any character will be until the end of the movie.

I will warn you that the movie can be a tear jerker.

The movie has a way of capturing the subtlety of nature and its reflection of the human soul in a way that few movies can. The examples I list below are only a few of the many, brilliantly constructed scenes that appear throughout the movie.

A shadow falls on a character who is turning his or her thoughts to darkness and revenge. A ray of sunshine breaks through the clouds when a character makes a choice that is generous or brave.

A child...

...heard....

...but off camera...

...simultaneously warns his little sister and the main character NOT to make a choice.

"I wouldn't do that!" his voice calls out.

It is clear to us as viewers, that as far as the child character is concerned, he is only warning his little sister.

But the director makes it clear to us that the warning is somehow meant for BOTH characters.

And now each character must make a choice whether to pursue the action that he or she is considering pursuing.

This very brief, but powerful scene, hints at a hidden unity to the human spirit and whether each character, major or minor, heeds this warning plays a significant part in forwarding the theme of the movie which is that while we have free choice, our choices can lead to devastation, sorrow and ruin or they can lead to enlightenment, joy and success.

And with each choice that a character makes, the cinematographers alter the scenery and the lighting of the surroundings to match the path that each character takes.

I can't offer enough praise to the writers and the cinematographers of this film. They clearly worked together and communicated together from day one of this movie's production.

I never felt, when watching this, that anything was overdone. The movie had the right balance of story, theme and scenery to ensure that the viewer did not come away feeling preached at or advertised to.

I showed this movie to a group of students who have faced numerous trials of their own, whether in school or at home.

They were a bit hard to the idea of the movie at first, but after ten minutes, they were hooked and the hardness in their eyes had vanished.

This movie can speak to anyone going through a trial and I highly recommend it.

Unconditionally cheesy and cringy

[gavinbaise · 6/10 · 8 May 2018]

Unconditional is a film about a widowed woman, Samantha Crawford, who meets and an old best friend, while also believing she's found her husband's murderer. She meets some children from the projects that will forever change her life. Sounds good right? The film is a drama that has heavy emphasis on trying to catch your emotions. It tries to achieve this by including a lot of orchestra music, to an extent where it becomes cheesy. There are also many cheesy quotes that try to capture your emotions. There isn't very much dialog. The movie also has emphasis on the use of flashbacks. Unconditional for me was hard to watch. There was way too much music being used to try and convey your emotions that it became annoying, and again, cheesy. When we watch movies, we want the music to blend well with the scenes in the movie so that it keeps us captured in the film, but in this film, the music just became distracting. The movie is based off a true story with a good message, but the issue was when trying to tell the story in this movie, it was badly executed. It was sad seeing a good story being butchered by bad acting, music, and bad execution. The movie did end pretty strong, with inspirational quotes, and a heart wrenching performance. It still had a good message and had sort of a twist at the end. Unconditional has a good plot, and if you can get past the acting and the music, you can somewhat enjoy the movie. The movie also has good child actors that make the story more heartwarming. The acting in the movie by the main characters was very cheesy. They didn't have many lines, but it felt like half the lines were meant to pull your emotions or somehow inspire, except you could tell that this is what the filmmakers were pushing for, and it was distracting. The children actors on the other hand did pretty good for their little amount of acting experience. If they weren't in there, I'd definitely give this movie a 1/10 on acting. So if you're going to watch this movie and want to enjoy it, first understand that it's based off a true story and has a good message behind it, and you'll have to get passed the overused and exaggerated orchestra music scoring, and the cheesy lines and acting. But the children in the movie keep the movie alive.

This movie was a total surprise - I wasn't expecting it

[keith-s-doyle · 10/10 · 25 September 2012]

So if you come away from a movie 'inspired' and even changed. The afterglow stays with you for a long while, the core message goes deep into your soul and like an incoming tide filing all the dry gaps between the rocks, it fills areas of your soul with new hope - how do you rate that regardless of it's 'Hollywood' quality? Personally - I give it a 9 or a 10. Few movies ever affect me like this. Unconditional did. It was very uplifting and encouraging. The movie had such a redemptive streak in it. There were some great twists and unexpected outcomes in this story. It showed grace touching those whose lives had been shattered through personal tragedy - kind of like the theme in a quote from Isaiah where it says 'a bruised reed I will not break, a smoldering wick I will not snuff out'. When I first looked at the ratings they were around 5.7 and there was another movie at 6.9 I was going to see, but the 3 of us went for Unconditional. We were all blown away - so glad we chose the 5.7 and have been talking about it since.

This movie I griping and it is slow at times as well but I would recommend this film to most peppy over 14

[keysca-94617 · 7/10 · 26 February 2016]

My name is Chase Keys, i am 17 and writing a review on the movie unconditional .

The movie unconditional is at times slow, but it is a carry deep and meaningful movie. The average watcher of this movie will at times find them self holding back tears from struggle and loss. As a viewer of this film it is likely you will find some way to relate to these characters and see yourself in their situation and ask yourself if you could keep moving. I strongly recommend this movie to the age groups of 15 and older, because this movie has many valuable lessons life, family and friends. The story line of this film is very emotion filled for the main character. Having lost her husband in a facial shooting she then begins a hard struggle with her will to move on but after an amazing act of fate she finds a new inspiration for her life.

Don't shoot black people just because they wear a red hoodie, okay?

[floraposteschild · 2/10 · 11 December 2016]

A man is shot dead in an alley, and his wife, in despair, takes a gun the size of a small cannon to that same alley to shoot herself. But! There is a little black girl who was just hit by a car to be rescued. So picture the backstory of a Batman movie telescoped into one scene, and then inter cut scenes of a guy in hospital on a kidney dialysis machine -- that's Unconditional in a nutshell.

Truly, we live in a great age of film making. When there's a movie like this, that multiple people sign up to IMDb for just to review and give 10 stars, and that film doesn't get an Oscar nomination, what does that tell you? I mean, if a rich white lady patronizing multiple black stereotypes while at the same time finding herself and her husband's killer (her clues: he was black, had a red hoodie and a mechanic's rag -- tricky, right?), with cute kids and uncounted death, near death, and tear-jerking moments along the way doesn't catch the attention of the Academy, what does?

Absolutely Loved this movie

[bkmauch429 · 10/10 · 1 July 2013]

I highly recommend this movie. I absolutely loved it.

The story line kept me captivated the entire film. I loved the characters and the role of Papa Joe resonated with my heart.

You can't go wrong watching this movie.

There are some intense parts, but I am seriously contemplating having my 9 and 11 year old children watch this movie. There are numerous life lessons to be taught from this movie.

This movie is inspired by a true story and I love that at the end it directs you to check out their website www.unconditionalthemovie.com/act to look for ways that you can also make an impact on children in your own community.

The movie moves your heart and then gives connections on how you can help. Love it.

Unconditional Review

[connerodinarthur · 7/10 · 9 May 2018]

Unconditional is a dramatic film based on a true story revolving around the struggle of the main character Sam (Lynn Collins), and her struggle with life after her husband Billy (Diego Klattenhoff) was murdered and robbed in an alley. Sam struggled to fight back her inner demons and attempted to commit suicide when all of the sudden she heard a scream coming from a nearby street. After approaching the street, Sam sees a little girl named Keisha (Gabriella Phillips) struck by a car while her brother Macon (Kwesi Boakye) was screaming in fear that she might not be alive. Sam rushes to the hospital with the little girl and she survived with minor injuries. It was later found out that Keisha and Macon were roaming the streets late at night to steal food due to their extreme hunger. While at the hospital, Sam is re-united with her childhood best friend Joe. I personally love the scene where they re-united and the audience could see the surprise in the actor's eyes. Joe tells Sam they should hangout and catch up sometime soon. A few days later, Sam goes to visit Joe where she discovers he helps mentor kids in the hood to prevent them from making mistakes in life. The kids grew on Sam and she finally found hope in life. The kids were invited to Sam's farm to meet her horse, dance, eat and stay the night. Alike to Sam, Joe had a dark past. Joe was in prison for 8 years due to hacking into a bank. While in prison, Joe was stabbed with a shank. Ever since being stabbed, Joe needs a daily kidney dialysis. While at the barn, Joe collapsed in his guest room due to his kidneys failing and was immediately rushed to the hospital. The doctors stated that Joe may not survive because his body may reject the kidney transplant. There was also a possibility that Joe could die before the kidney arrives. Sam had lost her husband and she feared the worst that she could lose her best friend. Sam became full of rage and anger over her life so she went after the man who she had though killed her husband wanting revenge. Some positive things I thought about this film would be the setting. I love how the setting transitions from the worst parts of the hood to a beautiful farm and I love how it shows the reaction of the children when they get to experience nature like they never have before. I also loved the story and found it inspiring on so many levels that Sam went through the death of her husband and managed to cope with it and make herself happy. I enjoyed that the actors went from having nothing to being extremely happy. Sam was on the brink of death with depression but she found hope in life. The kids Macon and Keisha didn't have someone to look up to except for Joe but they found Sam. Everyone in the film went from a low point in their life to having a family. There are also some negative things about the film. The transition into flashbacks when Sam would think back to when her husband had been alive tended to be hard to indicate. I would be watching a scene not knowing it was even a flashback and confused on why she was talking to her husband when he had passed away. Another negative side of the film would be the mood. I feel as if the movie was sad until the ending. The movie starts off with Sam's husband dying and her trying to commit suicide then transitions into Keisha getting hit by a car and lastly transitions to Joe on his dialysis machine. Throughout the movie all the actors did was face struggles and there's a lack of happiness and hope. I loved the characters and how they fit into the movie. I was always on the edge of my seat when a character's secrets or past would get revealed. I was very surprised when I had seen that Joe had to go to prison for 8 years but he still manages to be such a positive guy. It was also nice to see that after Keisha went through her mom's death, she began to talk again after going to the farm. I enjoyed the way the actors portrayed the characters as well. Kwesi Boakye did a great job at playing Macon and acting like a bad kid and bad sibling when in reality he was a nice kid. Lynn Collins in my opinion looked like the original person the true story is based off of so she was the perfect match for the role. In my opinion I thought this was a unique movie. If it wasn't based on a true story, I'd think it was an average film that was decent but the fact that this movie is based on a true story makes it breathtaking. I enjoyed the setting and characters more than most movies I watch. If I could rate Unconditional out of 10 I'd give it a 7.5/10.

I didn't really care for it

[dankworthj · 3/10 · 9 May 2018]

If I'm being honest I only had to watch this movie for school and there are very few movies I have watched in school that I liked. This review is entirely because I need a grade. The only things I really liked were the settings and the acting. Many of the places the film show are accurate while being a beautiful backdrop at the same time, though this seems almost accidental considering the rest of the film. I really didn't like the movie at all for the sake of being a movie, truly poor musical taste in my opinion, the whole message of the movie was far too cheesy, real story or not. The acting was well delivered and the actors seemed to actually be the people they were playing, I have no complaints, they are one of the only good parts of the film. I mainly liked that they seemed to be real people instead of some guy reading lines. Whether or not someone can relate is truly a situational event, any old Joe can relate to a guy named Joe, any redhead can relate to the redheaded female protagonist. I liked two things in this movie, and frankly I didn't find it to be worth the five minutes I took writing this review.