No Greater Love Movie Review

With eager anticipation, we look at every single screener sent to us at HOSFU, in the hopes of finding that rare gem. Each and every time we screen a movie at HOSFU, I personally pray that it will be a trailblazing film that causes me to write, "This is the best Christian movie that I have seen to date."

I hope I never get tired of saying those words because I don’t use them lightly.

Well Merry Christmas, folks; No Greater Love from Coram Deo Studios is the best Christian movie that I have seen to date.

I’m always thrilled beyond measure when we screen a film that breaks the stigma and blows the doors off of the mediocrity label. When watching No Greater Love for review purposes, two terms kept coming to mind repeatedly: clever and high quality.

This 109 minute feature length drama begins with a powerful and convincing argument between a young couple, about prioritizing work versus spending time on their relationship.

No sappiness here; no facade of life. The opening sequence is incredibly and painfully realistic. Before you even realize you are watching the film, Coram Deo voyeuristically takes you "behind closed doors" and intimately into the home of a young family.

This initial scene is shot as if you are a "fly on the wall," witnessing the breakdown of this family relationship. The argument itself is quite unsettling and, from a very personal standpoint, the Holy Spirit convicted me about my own work priorities before I ever got to the opening credits. Now that is powerful.

From this first argument on, No Greater Love grips the viewer and doesn’t let go.

Cleverly, the filmmakers use the opening credits themselves to set the foundational stage for the story line in a brilliant way (you’ll have to watch to see how).

In No Greater Love, Jeff and Heather are a young married couple with a newborn son, Ethan. Like many young couples, they each have their respective issues that they are learning to deal with, but not quickly enough to salvage their crumbling marriage. They are on the verge of divorce when Heather unexpectedly goes missing and leaves Jeff alone to raise Ethan.

Fast forward ten years as we follow Jeff’s story. He has built a great relationship with Ethan, has obtained a new girlfriend named Katie, and has a career in the advertising industry that is prospering. His life is pretty simple and seemingly on a good track.

One day at a coffee shop, Jeff meets with a man named Dave who he has befriended. Dave invites him to bring Ethan to Kid’s Fest – a Christian day camp for children.

Jeff agrees to bring Ethan to Kids Fest and providentially sees his missing Heather at the event. The story takes off from there. Obviously I don’t want to give away too much, but I can’t say enough about the quality of the story line.

Here’s the scoop:

Good:

• Acting. Casting Director Brad Silverman is to be commended and commended again. It is refreshing to see a Christian film where the acting is superb and realistic across the board. Actors often get the credit and rightfully so, but without the casting folks...well.
• Not only is the acting solid, but the chemistry between the actors rings sincerely throughout the film. While screening this film for my review, I took twelve pages of single spaced typewritten notes and I can’t tell you how many times I referred to the interaction between several members of the cast as coming off perfectly. This is especially true in the relational aspects of the film.
  
  Jeff (Anthony Tyler Quinn) and his son Ethan (Aaron Sanders) are charming and believable together – are you sure Ethan isn’t really Jeff’s son? Jeff and his co-worker TJ (Eric Bivens-Bush) come across as having worked together for years, with their playful bantering and antics.
  
  Jeff and Heather (Danielle Bisutti) portray such emotional turmoil, love and intensity. And Katie, the new girlfriend (Alexis Boozer), interacts authentically with Jeff and portrays realistic awkwardness in getting to know Ethan.
  
  Jeff and Katie have great chemistry together in this film and are believable as a couple growing serious about one another. I truly appreciate that the writers didn’t make Katie the enemy in this film; again, believable to the core.





Counter-clockwise: Alexis Boozer (Katie), Aaron Sanders (Ethan), Anthony Tyler Quinn (Jeff) and DP Geoff Reisner

• The cleverness and creativity of the filmmakers in the opening credits, in showing so much to set the foundational story line, allows us to get directly into the heart of the story in a short span of time.
• Location. The location manager is to be commended as well. The locations chosen for No Greater Love were inventive (lawnchairs on the roof), believable and ring true, and it was a blessing to see such time taken and dedication shown in this area.
• The screenplay. My goodness, this film was incredibly well written by Brad Silverman, James Killian and Elizabeth Killian. So many times during the film, certain plot points could have been given away too early, but the writers take the time to draw the viewer in, give away just enough to the point where the viewer has a measure of expectation…and then the unexpected happens. Bravo!
• The entire soundtrack, including touching and appropriate songs from artist Michelle Tumes, is timely and powerful. I’ve often stated that a film’s music is the single most under-appreciated element in a film. The soundtrack for No Greater Love leaves little, if anything, to be desired. Perfect timing, tense at the right moments and inviting at others.
• Editing. Brandon Rice does a marvelous job editing this film as a whole – both the video and audio.
• Directing and Cinematography. Brad Silverman (Director) and Geoff Reisner (DP) team up well in their respective roles. With great shot selection and interesting cuts, it’s a joy to be a viewer of this film.
• Engaging. No Greater Love is clever, high quality and engaging. I hate to admit it, but there was one scene during this film where I teared up. This is very rare for me. Not that I’m too cold or heartless, but I’m usually too involved in checking the film for critiquing purposes. However, during one scene, and I won’t mention which, I actually cried. But it was over quickly and I regained my composure...on with the review.

• It is tough to pinpoint much to improve in No Greater Love. I would start with the decision that Coram Deo made in selecting a real pastor to play the role of the pastor. In a film that is so well cast, the actor seemed a little out of his league when it came to the craft of acting. He might have held his own in a film not cast as strongly, but his role in this film doesn’t come off with the strength of his counterparts.
• During one scene in which Jeff pounds his chest in an emotional moment, it sounds like the microphone he is wearing can be heard getting hit. The scene comes off well, but this repeated tap is audible.
• There is a scene which can be interpreted as Jeff having an issue with alcoholism. It comes at an emotional time in his life that might make it plausible, but it seems awkward to see his specific character drinking by himself because he knows the strain that his wife’s drinking caused on their marriage. It seems out of character to me.

• The handful of folks who screened this film as early as I was blessed to have referred to it privately as a Christian "chick flick." It is, kind of. I say "kind of" because I really don’t like chick flicks in general. But this clever, high quality romantic drama with purpose is my favorite overall Christian film to date. What more can I say? Add this one to your library as soon as it comes out on January 19th.

In my personal opinion, Coram Deo Studios has set the bar the highest in the independent Christian film industry to date, with the creation of No Greater Love. They have produced a truly fine film that will be looked upon kindly by both fans and indie Christian filmmakers for years to come. I pray that during the coming year, I will once again be able to say, "I’ve just seen the best Christian film that I’ve ever seen." Until then, Coram Deo, the trophy is yours.

I can’t wait to see what this group will come up with next and I hope it goes theatrical. For investors out there who might be reading this, take a good, long look at Coram Deo Studios and get behind them. They are going places. And to Brad Silverman, Russ and Brandon Rice and all the folks at Coram Deo, keep HOSFU posted. I seriously can’t wait for what’s next.

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