Channels
Channels
| 01 January 2008 (USA)
Channels Trailers

A writer/producer is about to make a big career jump and has a lot of activity going on in his life. But, emotionally, he's dead. Through a fantastical event, he meets someone. They fall in love. She wants to defy logic and hop on the passing train of time with him. He lets his mind rationalize and hesitates. She is gone and he finds himself in a desperate race to get her back. Will the magic that brought them together be strong enough to reunite them, or is it too long?

Reviews
CerebralInTheCity

"Channels" is very affecting movie, a romantic comedy with a mix of some profoundly sincere thought.A character named "Black" (appropriate for his mood in the beginning) is a movie producer on the rise, who is having a hard time dealing with a movie that he is producing. The head of the studio feels that Black is messing up with his creative personnel. With all that is going on, the only place Black finds any solace, is when he goes home and routinely channels surfs, not really watching what is on the TV. He does, however, take note of a certain character, "Katherine", who appears on a specific TV series that comes on regularly. He is enchanted by her. Then one night, through an odd, unexplainable circumstance, the character appears in his apartment.They decide to figure out what is going on, but instead, eventually fall in love with each other. At a certain point, Katherine says that she simply doesn't care about making sense out of it all, and that they should just believe in their love and that is what matters, and that is what is "real." Black hesitates. And in that hesitation, he may have lost her. There is an interesting symbolism of a train passing by in his dreams. The train, representing time passing, fits in with his not taking advantage of the opportunity that appeared to him at a moment in time. The moment he hesitated. So, he tries very hard to get her backChannels stars Nat Christian, a completely honest actor, who is very interesting to watch. He imbues his characterization with a kind of poetic philosophical artistic stroke. Projecting a character's philosophy is an interesting place to go for an actor. And, in a restrained characterization, he makes it look simple ."Katherine" is played by Kim Oja, whose terrific talent matches her endearing nature. Oja seems very comfortable playing both comedy and drama, and she pulls it off.There are other marvelous actors, such as Ed Asner, John Kassir, Joan Van Ark and Taylor Negron. They were cast well, because each brings specific characterizations to this piece. The score by Rossano Galante is stirring and fits in with the poetic nature of "Channels."The writing and directing also had Nat Christian at the helm. He blends his thematic and cinematic vision with a commanding skill, allowing us to laugh at times, feel the romance, and still ponder the central question – With two lovers in a strange situation, if one believes strongly enough in the "love" could that make the situation real?

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RobertStern212

Channels arrives with a somber mood, and a cynical attitude, but then does a fantastic job of creating a romantic atmosphere in which we can believe in.Actor, Nat Christian, gives a powerful, truthful and passionate performance as Black, a man so emotionally not alive, that when he comes home after a very busy day at work (he's a producer on a film shoot), he needs to just sit back and channel surf. His cynicism is delivered straightforward and not for show. He then starts to loosen up when he meets Katherine, played by the adorable Kim Oja. Christian, a masterful actor, doesn't immediately do a complete turnaround, but he does more of a gradual awakening, wonderfully playing these different moods. There is a lot of kissing and romance between Christian and Oja and the two of them burn up the screen (And there is no nudity). I've seen Nat Christian on TV when he started out doing soaps, and he was always engaging to watch.Kim Oja was a very pleasant surprise as a comedienne. Taylor Negron gives a vulnerable performance. John Kassir is perfect as a cynical talent agent. Ed Asner rules. Joan Van Ark is also great and should be doing more movies.Christian equals his acting talents as the director of Channels. Storytelling is the operative word. Done with artistry and sureness, he takes us to another place and we are there.The music by Rossanno Galante was enchanting. The cinematography by Michael Hardwick was alluring as well as the set design. There is a song written by Daryl Orenge and Nat Christian, that is quite catchy.Wonderful!

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rosen-brosen-bob

Yeah! A movie that not only entertains with chuckles here and there, but really moves you with some knockout punches. The main characters played by Nat Christian and Kim Oja have a marvelous chemistry. You WANT these two to be together. Christian has the magnetism and sex appeal of some of the old time male movie stars. Oja fits right in with the sweet yet sexy clan. Both are great actors. Christian never hits a false note and allows us to journey with him throughout the movie. As the director of the movie too, Christian selflessly gives a lot of screen time to all of his co-stars. Oja is able too show us a comedic style that hasn't been shown before. Joan Van Ark, still hot at her age, is able to project a vulnerability under her character's hard shell. Ed Asner has a great monologue which made me nearly fall over laughing. John Kassir and Taylor Negron are perfect matches for these actors and are always interesting to watch. It was great to see Amber Barretto on the screen, along with Chloe Hunter. Both are beauties who could grace any movie. Gil Glaskow is a standout in a supporting role.The director takes us on an emotional journey step by step with our main characters and mixes it up with some great imagery. The composer, Rossano Galante, delivers an emotional score. Wow!

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Gordon-11

This is a supernatural romantic comedy, that a beautiful TV character comes out of the TV screen into a producer's life.Initially the plot is a little slow, but it becomes sweet and romantic. Katherine is sweet and charming. Her constant saccharine smile melts the hearts of the viewers. She reminds me of Reese Witherspoon. The lead guy, Black Racklin, on the other hand, is rather disappointing. He is wooden and uninteresting. he is unable to convey emotions and feelings, especially of live and passion. Though he frequently kisses with Katherine, I still am not convinced by his passion for Katherine.It's a very watchable film, and I am sure it would have been a blockbuster if it had top A List actors and actresses in the lead roles.

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