The Falls: Covenant of Grace [DVD]

**There may be spoilers in this review.**I am a fan of the first two movies, so you can imagine the shock when I was flipping through Amazon Prime Video to find something worthwhile to watch and saw there was third movie. Chris and RJ have taken a hold on me. I was thrilled to see how things would end up with them.ACTINGBenjamin (as Chris) has been a good actor since the first movie, so it's no surprise that he continues to turn in a credible performance of a liberated young man who is still emotionally tied to an institution that despises his very nature. There's a lot of tension in his situation, and Benjamin really allows the audience to feel it.Nick (as RJ) has shown the greater growth. As I wrote in a prior review, his acting in the first film was stilted. In the second film, he loosened up and allowed the viewers a better view inside the heart and mind of RJ, but there was still a part of him that was inaccessible because Nick couldn't quite manage to open that side up. In this third outing, he's a full-fledged actor who perfectly captures a young man who is at once comfortable with himself but also who isn't quite sure if he should finally tell Chris he loves him.There was some decent acting from others, such as Chris's father. One character that either is a stellar actor or is genuinely "off" was RJ's best girlfriend. Perhaps she was going for "keep it real." The result was she seemed like she was keeping it real crazy.PLOTThe plot is why I didn't rate the movie five stars. The gist is that Chris and RJ live in separate cities and occasionally see each other but aren't officially together, although RJ desperately wants a relationship. Chris ends up visiting RJ in Portland (where RJ lives), and they finally consummate their relationship -- free from shame and disapproval from their families. I did like that when they initially got intimate, it was a frenzied event, which worked well because it perfectly captured how two young men who hadn't seen each other in a while. (They later are more passionate about it.)From there, we're once again faced with a conflicted Chris still working out how to reconcile his sexuality with his religion (and church that is staunchly opposed to marriage equality) and an RJ that has moved beyond the condemnation and concern about what the church may think of him. This, once again, creates a tension we witnessed in the predecessor film, although it's more volatile this time around.I won't spoil any more. I will say that the dénouement is what disappointed me, although I understand what the director was attempting to achieve: bringing closure to the lives of the protagonists. Everything was wrapped up neatly, with no loose ends. Why is that?*Chris, conflicted throughout all films, finally reconciles being gay with being a Mormon. No further conflicts.*RJ, always ensconced in everything Chris, finally lands the guy of his dream.*Chris's father, who is one of the church leaders, finally accepts Chris, and more than that, becomes an advocate for marriage equality.*Chris and RJ get married, and RJ now inherits a stepdaughter.*Chris gets into law school and RJ becomes and adjunct professor in Salt Lake City.This is why I find the above points to be ridiculous:*As a former Mormon, you will likely continue to wrestle with reconciling your sexuality with your faith. Mormonism runs deeply.*It's fine he finally gets Chris, but it's positioned that all the previous issues between them just vanished -- poof, be gone!*Someone staunchly opposed to marriage equality coupled with being a high-ranking church member -- you don't do a 360 like that. Not credible.*The marriage is fine; after all, it's legal. But Chris and RJ have primary custody of the daughter? Super-religious mom's nowhere to be found?*Getting into law school? Okay, that's fine. RJ becoming an adjunct professor? After a three-year career as a writer for a Seattle magazine? Yeah.This is too neatly wrapped up. I'm not suggesting that the plot should introduce 400 new issues to make the ending seem like real life. Still, walking away from the film with the realization that the five-year saga, one filled with undulations, has ended PERFECTLY. Everyone rides out into the sunset. That doesn't work for me.OVERALLThis is a good movie. Not great, just good. It could have been better had they not brought everything to a neat close. If I were to rate all the films, they would be rated in the order they were released: the first being the best, and the last being the least best.

One of my favorite series’s. The story will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. How the ride ends is for you to watch and see.

"The Falls: Covenant of Grace" is a powerful film. To acknowledge that this is an independent production with the first film "The Falls" made for $7,000 and the second film "The Falls: Testament of Low" was at one point $18,000 in debt until a theatrical angel stepped in with $35.000 to help complete the film. The fact that this is the third film in an independently made trilogy speaks to the uphill battle director Jon Garcia had to get to this third film. The first two films are excellent, but the third is classic. It deals with the universal theme of love, its relationship to Deity and to the church, particularly as it applies to same-sex couples. Nick Ferrucci as RJ Smith goes deep to an emotional core that is powerful, understated and masterfully acted. The scene in the film where he comforts and counsels Ryan played Curtis Edward Jackson rips with emotional control, passion and insight. Benjamin Farmer who plays the other lead Chris Merrill is also amazing, a man torn by his devotion to his faith and human father and his realization of who he is as a man. When Chris comforts RJ in two panic attacks, the love and caring between the two men is amazing. As the film climaxes with the two united on the altar of a church different from their faith, it's a powerful statement, a covenant of grace. This is an amazing film for the writing, directing, music, cinematography, issues raised and performances. Bravo!

Romantic movies, for gays or straights, tend to be overly cheesy. This one stands out for its maturity.2 Mormons, who did their mission together, had a romantic flick in the past... in front of their parents (about as bad as in front of Southern Evangelicals). Live goes on, and they see each other from time to time. While RJ is still madly in love - he even wrote a book about it - Mike seems to be more faithful to the LDS church, especially considering that his father is part of the church's High Council.From what we know about LDS, this depiction seems pretty accurate. Still today, too many men are out right rejected by their families because of their "choice." They are faced with an impossible choice: their faith or their "lifestyle" - which the movie reinforces with a LDS policy keeping children of gay men to be baptized.The movie would have gotten 5 stars had it not been from the completely unrealistic ending. Having the Apostle come to term with his son is one thing - but putting it AS WIDE is wishful thinking (as of mid 2020).Nevertheless, this beautiful LGBT romantic movie will bring you on a rollercoaster of emotions that will surely remind you of some parts of your own life. A must watch

Having known and been best friends with many Mormons in college, I can relate to the issues that young men are faced with in their Church, to either accept Faith, or to accept love. I watched many struggles like this, some with a happy ending, some not. So the three movies had familiar feel to them, and brought back both pain and happiness. But I wouldn't trade one day of that journey with them. I too met the love of my life in college, the only person I have ever thought was my soul mate. Our struggle, unlike RJ and Chris, did not have the happy ending together, but the heart goes on for him after nearly 40 years now, but we have our separate lives far from each other. So, the movies are very moving and for the most part a real experience that I think reflects a journey that the writer or director has been through. These movies are on my list to watch again, as I dream of what RJ and Chris' life would be like married to each other.

I'd already seen the first two episodes of this trilogy so had to see the third, hoping the two lads would overcome their difficulties and find a life in each other's arms. I hoped to see the wife who appeared in the 2nd episode again, but she didn't make an appearance (I thought she gave a very strong performance in Ep. 2, with echoes of Brokeback Mountain, when she saw her husband with the other lad).I agree with some of the previous comments, that there was a lot of quiet space in this episode, as though the writer had been fitted with a governor and couldn't produce too much dialogue, so to lengthen the film the guys spend a lot of time staring into each other's eyes and snugging foreheads, as shown in the cover illustration. Nice as this is, after a couple of snugs one just wants to get on with the story.Regarding all 3 episodes, I found it difficult to believe that two lads who'd been brought up to live cleanly would so easily succumb to alcohol and weed. To me, that negated the fact that avoiding deleterious substances is not because of a church rule, but because the human body wasn't designed to ingest such substances.Still, give a watch if you've already seen Ep 1 and 2, 'cause you gotta know if these two handsome lads finally connect.

nice ending

The Falls: Covenant of Grace Most if not all the reviews listed for this DVD on Amazon UK seem to relate to the first film in the series, so I have decided to write my own. I first watched The Falls last year and was happy to see that the second and third films had been released. Unlike the first, however, the two later ones are so far available here in the UK only as US (Region 1) imports. I bought the DVDs and can play them on my computer (but not my DVD player).Each time I watch the series, and especially Covenant of Grace, I appreciate more the insight and sensitivity of the director, Jon Garcia, and the two leading actors, in portraying the conflicts faced by gay men trying to combine acceptance of who they are (and its consequencies) with sincerely-held religious belief, in the face of non-acceptance and downright hostility from their church. It would be all too easy to say why bother, just be true to yourself and ditch the rest. But for Chris and RJ both things are part of who they are. Each starts off thinking they will be forced to make a choice between “love” and “God”. If Testament of Love is about Chris’s journey especially, coming to terms with who he is, and coming out to those around him, Covenant of Grace is about resolving the perceived conflict between love and God, if not yet their church. Each is afraid that the choice the other makes will exclude their love and a future together. In the end it is the refusal of each to be forced to make those choices which shines and triumphs and is so affirmative for those of us who have travelled this same road. Love and God “are the same.…even my daughter knows that”. Both of them “want it all” and refuse to settle for any less. They don’t quite achieve that but, by the end, you feel they are comfortable with each other, with their faith and with their families. For me it is the film’s triumph that it portrays this not just as a journey for Chris and RJ, but for their families and the LDS Church too .To say more would risk a spoiler. Here in the UK I have known gay couples with two men sharing life-time commitments to one another and their church. Nothing was said but the people that mattered knew. That is now changing: couples like Chris and RJ want their relationships recognised, accepted, affirmed. They are right, and my church along with others needs to look long and hard at its teachings and traditions. In these three films Chris and RJ have shared the story of their journey and I for one am grateful for that. It will stay with me for a long time. The Falls: Covenant of Grace

Colis livré dans les délais prévus. Film excellent et attendu après "Testament of love".

worthy, bit dull....