Neo Ned
The forbidden/mismatched love finishing in tragedy has been the theme of plays and films ever since the first performance of Romeo and Juliet, and probably even before then. Apart from straight cinema versions Shakespeare's play, it was the basis of West Side Story and hundreds of Bollywood films follow a similar formula. While Neo Ned does follow the basic concept of classic play with the tragic ending considerably toned down, it has its own unique setting and cast of characters that more closely resembles One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
The titular Ned (played in a fantastic performance by Jeremy Renner) is what is usually described as 'trailer trash'. We see him as a young boy who idolized his father and dreamed of following in his footsteps. Unfortunately those footsteps kept leading to jail. Taken from his talk-show addicted mother, the young ends up in foster care, but he escapes that and finds a new family of his own, a neo-nazi group called the Aryan Brotherhood. This association leads him to being locked up in a metal hospital for the murder of a black man. Here he meets a young black girl, Rachael, (played by Gabrielle Union) who is pretending Hitler has reincarnated in her, and slowly romance and love ensue, bringing them both to face parts of themselves they have been hiding. All this climaxes with an unexpected, but happy ending.
The film addresses many issues, such as racism, child abuse, mental health and above all the need for love and its power to transform, all of which are handled with some great humour, and but also pathos. It will make you laugh, cry and even think a little.
It is movies like this that make independent films a force to be reckoned with. Conventional stories shown with unconventional characters and situations that the big studios won't take a risk with. The acting is excellent from the two leads, who are well supported by actors such as Cary Elwes and Ethan Suplee (the younger brother in My Name is Earl).
If you want to see a love story with a difference that is not a schmalzy rom-com or a harrowing melodrama then catch this one at the festival on Thursday 17 August at 21:30 or Saturday 19 at 14:40, both at Cameo 1. Hopefully it will get general release very soon.
Thursday 17 August at 21:30
Saturday 19 August at 14:40
Cameo 1
The titular Ned (played in a fantastic performance by Jeremy Renner) is what is usually described as 'trailer trash'. We see him as a young boy who idolized his father and dreamed of following in his footsteps. Unfortunately those footsteps kept leading to jail. Taken from his talk-show addicted mother, the young ends up in foster care, but he escapes that and finds a new family of his own, a neo-nazi group called the Aryan Brotherhood. This association leads him to being locked up in a metal hospital for the murder of a black man. Here he meets a young black girl, Rachael, (played by Gabrielle Union) who is pretending Hitler has reincarnated in her, and slowly romance and love ensue, bringing them both to face parts of themselves they have been hiding. All this climaxes with an unexpected, but happy ending.
The film addresses many issues, such as racism, child abuse, mental health and above all the need for love and its power to transform, all of which are handled with some great humour, and but also pathos. It will make you laugh, cry and even think a little.
It is movies like this that make independent films a force to be reckoned with. Conventional stories shown with unconventional characters and situations that the big studios won't take a risk with. The acting is excellent from the two leads, who are well supported by actors such as Cary Elwes and Ethan Suplee (the younger brother in My Name is Earl).
If you want to see a love story with a difference that is not a schmalzy rom-com or a harrowing melodrama then catch this one at the festival on Thursday 17 August at 21:30 or Saturday 19 at 14:40, both at Cameo 1. Hopefully it will get general release very soon.
Thursday 17 August at 21:30
Saturday 19 August at 14:40
Cameo 1
posted by Chris Patmore at 7:16 pm
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