Innocent
Innocent
NR | 06 November 2005 (USA)
Innocent Trailers

17-year-old Eric follows his parents to immigrate to Canada and is thus forced to confront different emotional and cultural problems. He must not only adjust to the new environment, but also come to terms with his homosexuality. Standing at the brink of adulthood, he encounters a series of potential romantic interests - his handsome cousin, a schoolmate, a middle aged lawyer and finally a kitchen helper. They represent different stages in Eric's development, from infatuation, sex, love to a sense of responsibility.

Reviews
UnowPriceless

hyped garbage

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Ogosmith

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

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Matylda Swan

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

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Candida

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

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atrac

I saw the box cover for this film and was immediately captivated by Timothy Lee (and still am). WOW. Not only quite handsome, but an actor well on his way to bigger and (hopefully) better things.Although this film looks quite amateur, the story was actually quite interesting. That and Timothy's good looks are all that kept me on until the very ending.I state "ending" but what I'd love is for this film to have one. It just kind of dies. I'm very good at reading between the lines and determining "existential" endings, but I felt like this film was shot in order and they just ran out of money.You'll see what I mean. It just ends.I watched the two other short films on the DVD by the same director and it does seem like a lot of his stories really don't have a point. But I'll concede that maybe each film does have one and I just somehow missed it ever time (and the final film on the DVD has three stories -- none of which I "got" either).If the same writer/director makes another film, I'll definitely watch it. Mainly because he certainly knows how to cast good looking younger guys. :)

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Jay Harris

I wanted to like this movie,Sorry to say I was disappointed.The main reason is that the running time of 86 minutes seemed like 186 minutes. It dragged on & on.There is some nice Canadian scenery & that is about all I can recommend in it.This is another film where there is hardly any character I would want to have known or be friendly with.To me this is a vital part of a movie, I want to root for someone in the movie.The acting & production credits are OK for this type of filmThis was the directors first directorial effort, I do hope he does better.rating: **1/2 (out of 4) 68 points(out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

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Gordon-11

This film is about a gay young man from Hong Kong being tricked by his parents and moved to Canada. He is brave enough to follow his heart and act on his sexual desires, but a series of unfortunate events happen one after another.This film stands out as being very realistic and raw. The acting, the camera and cinematography are all very every day, as if it is a home made video documenting trivial things in a family. I am particularly impressed by the portrayal between the mother and the father, and the family dynamics between the family. Most of the dialog is mildly challenging and to the point, which makes it unpretentious.There is nothing very dramatic or graphic in the film, and yet as the trivial daily life unfolds, the film gets more interesting. It successfully captivates the viewers and makes them wanting to know more.This film deserves a lot more attention than it currently is getting!

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Zen Bones

This is one of those really small, slice of life, indie films that get lost in the cacophony of the stylish in-your-face stuff that's out there. It's also way too sophisticated for the average TV movie-of-the-week slice of life stuff. It's a movie that doesn't fit in anywhere, which is appropriate since it's also a movie for people who feel that they don't fit in anywhere.Although the film is about an (almost) seventeen-year-old boy dealing with being gay, it isn't nauseatingly cute like most gay coming-of-age movies. Nor is it quirky to the extreme, nor is it dark and brooding. It is in fact, like life. The characters are intelligent yet flawed, and the film weaves in and out of the lives of many types of characters, refusing to fit into a comfortable niche. For example; those who want to see a film about a Hong Kong family trying to fit into a new life in Canada might feel uncomfortable about the gay element. Those who want a 'gay movie' might feel let down by the fact that the supporting characters who are not gay, play a prominent role in the film.However, there is an audience for this film. That audience would be people who want to see real human beings on the screen. Timothy Lee as Eric, does a great balancing job of portraying someone who knows who he is, but is unable to find what he's looking for in a world where the people around him are constantly either deceiving themselves or deceiving each other. The most difficult thing about coming of age is trying to find your way through all the hypocrisy and BS that adults and society are cloaked in. The message of "Innocent" is a familiar one; 'to thine own self be true' but the film doesn't pound its message in. It's also an extremely brief film (less than 80 minutes) and ... spoilers ahead! ... it doesn't have a traditional 'they all lived happily ever after' ending. That might be the reason the film has such a low rating here, but to me the ending is beautiful because it is honest. Sometimes things don't get wrapped up all and neat and pretty. Sometimes we stay lost and searching for a long, long time, but... that isn't necessarily a downer. Because Eric is intelligent and honest with himself, we know he will find some form of love and some answers to life along the way. He'll also get hurt many more times because we all are ultimately innocent when it comes to matters of the heart. It is through our innocence that we learn. Don't let the IMDb rating fool you; this is a simple, gentle, honest little film.

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