Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

GetPapa Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Mabel Munoz Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

RanisBerserkk I am only writing this review to warn others not to waste their time watching this atrociously trash film.Everything about this film was terrible from the costume to the casting to the story to the attempt at acting. It was absolutely awful. I am not the sort of person to write reviews but I watched this film because of the rating on here and am utterly disappointed. How this film managed to gain a whopping 7.1 is astounding. Easily the worst film I have ever watched. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.Do not watch this film if you value your time.To elaborate, the actors are made out of wood, the filming looked like something out of a gcse project and I have seen more believable acting in Hollyoaks. Overall, a terrible and gruelling 90 minutes of my life was wasted.

DantePeace I usually do not write a review for any movies I watch, which will be obvious from this one. I will not claim to be anything more than a movie buff looking out for fellow buffs who find their time precious. I read reviews hoping to weed out the stinkers, as I cherish my free time. No thanks to the reviews on this film, I watched in amazement possibly the worst film of my life. The acting was unbearable. The casting atrocious. The storyline, screenplay, lighting, furniture...you name it and it sucked!(the dog was stellar, however)I could spend 5 or 6 paragraphs explaining the movie, which the synopsis does and yet the clowns leaving the reviews before me waste more time by doing. I will instead give you the advice that I only wish was given to me...grab a chair, turn on your faucet, sit down and watch for an hour and a half. At least you will be able to erase that from memory.

Frosty_Critic A child appears, mute and traumatized, rushing through the woods, a fugitive from ten years of captivity at the hands of a pedophile.Flashbacks to a good family time at the beach, building a sand castle crowned by a chess queen.A momentary glance away that will yield a decade's worth of pain.The loss of the child (at whose despicable hands?) has wreaked its havoc on those left behind ~ the despondent alcoholic mother, Marie (Saxon Trainor); older brother Noah (Jordon Hodges), a lumber mill worker; Uncle Tommy (Randy Spence), seething with anger and an irresistible itch for revenge. Each bears their cross; all wrestle with their demons.An excerpt from Proverbs 23:18 has affirmed that "Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off."Sand Castles, written and produced by Mr. Hodges and directed by Clenét Verdi-Rose, gives promise to the proverb as it painstakingly and dramatically tracks the Daly Family's journey to hope and Lauren's to recovery.There's a solemnity and tautness to the film's pacing, an air of danger that presides in the background music by Todd Maki and in the moods of its male characters, and a promise of possibility and justice (what you might think of as great expectations).It is, however, the stunning performance of Anne Winters that makes this such a haunting and powerful film. Hers is a remarkably expressive countenance; her expressions, worth a thousand words; her eyes, a road-map to Lauren's fears and reflections. In a uniquely understated performance, Ms. Winters delivers a singularly powerful and heart-wrenching performance.In the real world, the road to recovery is not a straight line. It is filled with pitfalls and detours. Sand Castles does not spare us reminders of this reality (for example, Lauren's removal by Children's Protective Services from the Daly home to foster care) and the falls from propriety of even the noblest characters (Lauren's social worker's ill-advised affair with Noah).In the real world, as Noah notes, everyone has choices ~ some to be celebrated and some from which there is no return.In the wake of headlines that have screamed the tragedies of lost children and their enslavement by madmen ~ the worst nightmare of any parent ~ Sand Castles is an especially relevant and timely contribution. At the center of this tale of tragedy and hope, of desperation and redemption, is a message about the mindfulness that is essential to the caring of our children, the patience that is required when we must relieve them of their pain, and the hollowness of revenge. At the end of this tale is an abiding sense of reverence.Herbert Paine, BroadwayWorld.com

The Flash Set in rural Indiana, Sand Castles tells of the impoverished Daly family continually haunted by a tragedy that occurred more than a decade ago. It's a nightmare that never ends. After a family trip to the beach, little Lauren Daly mysteriously disappeared, snatched by a stranger.The devastation felt by the remaining family members understandably causes their lives to spiral down, out of control, resulting with dad taking his life while mom (an outstanding Saxon Trainor) drowns in a world of cigarettes and booze, leaving their son Noah (Jordon Hodges) to basically fend for himself.Then, a decade later, the unimaginable occurs. "There's no easy way to say this," a cop tells the family. "We found Lauren."Somehow, the little girl, now a teenager, has escaped from the confines of wherever she was held captive, but the trauma of the past ten years or so has resulted in a complete shutdown: she doesn't speak. The only potential clue to what might have happened to her is a well-worn copy of the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations. The significance of the novel and why the young girl appears to read and re-read the book is later revealed, but to the frustration of the social worker assigned to the case, Alison Paige (Daniella Grace), Lauren refuses to allow anyone to touch her dog-eared copy. In an attempt to break through the young girl's silence and hopefully open up a channel of communication with her, Alison buys her own copy of the book and even takes both Lauren and Noah to a local community theatre production of the novel.Sand Castles - a title referring not only to that fateful day at the beach but also the fragility of an existence that can be swept away by a single wave in one, brief, unexpected moment – is an impressive debut from Jordon Hodges, who here does triple duty as actor, writer and co-producer. There's little wonder as to why the film has already collected a number of festival awards; Sand Castles has its flaws, but the overall impression you're left with as you leave the theatre is one of immense satisfaction, the result of witnessing an ambitious story well told and the introduction to a new talent; Jordon Hodges.As writer, Hodges uses only slight reveals to illustrate important key moments. It's up to us, the audience, to recognize the clues. Imagine trying to fit pieces of a jig-saw into place but without the aid of the picture on the box. Flashbacks occur, but they're brief; they flash on the screen in the same way a thought may suddenly spring to mind, lasting just a few seconds, often shorter. With an economy of dialog, feelings are often illustrated by the briefest of glances or an accusatory look. When ex-cop and close family member, Tommy Daly (Randy Spence) buys Lauren her own, small fridge - the kind a student may have for convenience in the dorm - the young girl unexpectedly runs forward and hugs her uncle, burying her head in his chest. It's a touching and genuinely heartfelt family moment made all the more effective due to the simple absence of dialog. But occasionally there are the odd missteps.The scene where Tommy's ex-partner, now detective (Scott Jemison) angrily berates Lauren out of frustration for her continual silence develops into something unnecessarily overwrought and not particularly well-played, plus the sudden romance between Noah and the attractive social worker occurs completely out of nowhere. The moment when Alison suddenly kisses Noah is meant to surprise, which it certainly does, but up until that moment there has been no indication whatsoever of the social worker's attraction to Lauren's big brother. The romance needs to happen in order for later events to occur, but somehow that initial moment feels both wrong and unnatural. There's also the appearance of an important, extra scene that runs in the middle of the closing credits. It's not an add-on; it's an integral part of the mystery and needs to be seen earlier rather than at the conclusion of the cast list.However, backed by an outstanding, atmospheric score from musician Todd Maki and solid performances from Hodges, Trainor and Spence, plus an effective appearance from Clint Howard whose somewhat creepy presence only adds to the overall mystery of Lauren's kidnapper, director Clenet Verdi-Rose has delivered a feature that needs to venture further than the confines of the festival circuit. More importantly, it introduces us to Jordon Hodges. Remember the name.Valley Screen and Stage: David Appleford's Film and Theatre Reviewsdavidappleford.com