Dial a Prayer (2015) Reviews

• Worth seeing but I am not exactly who the audience would be for this picture.

  MartinHafer2015-06-06

  In the last year or so, quite a few films have debuted which have been targeted to a more conservative Christian audience, such as "Son of God" as well as "God is Not Dead". I assumed that "Dial a Prayer" is pretty much another one of these films, though despite its plot, it isn't exactly something that will appeal to many of the same folks who would have seen these other movies. The film is about a surly young lady, Cora (Brittany Snow). She's got attitude, that's for sure...and you know that she's been sentenced to do community service for some sort of crime, though for much of the film you have no idea what she's done. As for her community service, she works for a Dial-a-Prayer service--an odd choice for community service considering her attitude about life as well as what crimes she committed. Oddly, however, despite being an angry, lost soul, through the course of the film, she comes to develop a sense of purpose and begins to shed some of her anger and hopelessness. "Dial a Prayer" has a lot going for it. Snow's performance is exceptional, as she played troubled and angry quite well--so well that it was difficult liking her character for much of the film. This is a major plus. Additionally, it sure didn't hurt that the nice minister who ran the center was played by William H. Macy--a guy who just make everything look so easy and natural. I also like the notion that ACTING good, after a while, makes you good-- something fundamental to many philosophies and branches of psychology. The film also really was nice because it was very unique and there isn't anything else like it that I've seen in a very long time. But, the film also has a huge problem which will easily impact its marketability. For the traditional Christian audience, while most of the story will make them quite happy, the cursing and sex in the film just don't fit in with their values and it's hard to imagine them not being offended. As for others, there are also a lot of folks who have no interest in a film about spirituality--and they'd never see such a movie in the first place. As a result, while it's a very good film, I just don't know if it has much of an audience, though it is worth seeing.

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• Better Dialogue and Scene Structure than most films

  dansview2015-08-15

  Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I always beg for more character development and back stories. I loved this movie, but I needed to know a bit more about the supporting characters. William Macy plays a wonderfully animated boss of a Dial-A-Prayer business. But we never hear how he got into the field or why. Also, no one ever identifies what church the girl's family, the call center, and the town identify with. Is it Catholic? Interestingly, there is practically no mention of Jesus, except when the funny boss says that he parted the Red Sea. Therefore, I think a non-Christian could feel comfortable watching this without feeling bombarded by J.C. The film is not really about religion. It is about second chances and turning one's life around. There is good usage of the Fall and Winter Midwest landscape. One could see it as either bleak, or starkly beautiful, depending on attitude. There are some clever references to that. The final scene shows a couple quietly beholding the glory of a blank snowy setting. Do prayers make a difference? Our protagonist keeps asking this question. Of course they do, but the film focuses only on the aspect of making people feel better. It doesn't mention any metaphysical effect on the world at large, or the idea of praying for world peace and messianic redemption. People are only praying for themselves and their family to deal with domestic and health issues. Casting is so essential to a character-driven film. This one aced the test. I don't know who Brittany Snow is, but her no-makeup sadness came through the screen with genuine sincerity. Macy phoned it in, no pun intended, but in his case, he phones it in beautifully. Glen Headly, the mom, fit the profile to perfection. No one here is great looking or flashy. They are ordinary people in a working class Midwestern town trying to make it through life the best way they can. What I loved the most was the way they structured dialogue scenes. The characters would say just the right amount of words to each other, without overdoing it or milking the scenes for manipulative effect. I could have done without the few dream sequences and the schmaltzy music toward the end, but the photography was first rate.

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• Well worth a watch, Brittany Snow- wow!

  aliceolsen2015-07-21

  Firstly, this is not just for religious people, as a atheist, I really enjoyed this film. Brittany Snow displays such emotional depth and a great character. She told the story so beautifully, I, a usually emotional robot, was brought to tears. The score, also, so wonderfully aides the telling of this emotional roller-coaster. Deeply relatable, anyone may see a part of themselves in one of the characters. Even if just slightly, with themes of guilt, love, depression and that human need to feel good. A superb film that is heart warming and wrenching at the same time. I think that there is room for a sequel, further analysing Cora's family breakdown and the effect of his mother's injuries on Chase. Everyone involved with the project should be applauded. Slight criticism is that it is short, this may be budget but it is still a great film.

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• Things are not what they seem

  masonnett2017-03-04

  I liked this little film. A good and decent little film. The story, the script, the directing , the acting and the cinematography. A well packaged little project. I liked the idea that just when you thought that William Macey's character was evil, you end up realizing that he is not. Also, I liked the idea that believing and disbelieving in anything could change in any minute when your perception changes .

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• Awesome movie, not sure who the audience is supposed to be.

  maxinetilbury2016-07-20

  Brittany Snow is one of my favourite actresses, and this movie is a great reminder why. She delivers incredible scenes and portrays Cora in an amazing way. The movie itself is good, but the title and premise of the movie kind of makes it seem like a movie that is going to convince a girl who's gone off-track to find faith in god, however that isn't what the movie is about at all. My automatic thought is that this is a movie for religious people, but i don't think religious people would enjoy this movie all that much, and non-religious people wouldn't think about picking it up because of the title and premise of the movie. Still, however, it is a great movie.

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