Bold Native (2010) User Reviews

A passionate, ambitious movie

[aristede99 · 8/10 · 14 March 2011]

At a recent screening I attended,the director of Bold Native described it as "a movie of ideas" and I give this film a lot of credit for addressing some of the moral complexity of the animal rights issue rather than just being a simple polemic. It doesn't demonize or romanticize either side too much.

There is a lot of heart in Bold Native. It's fast-paced, colorful, youthful and fun while underscoring the urgency of helping animals during a time when non-violent animal liberators are being prosecuted as domestic terrorists. Bold Native reminds the viewer that Animal Rights is a human rights issue, too. See this movie!

not what i expected

[katyaroberts · 7/10 · 19 July 2020]

Actually a pretty good movie, not the best tho better than what i expected, a good movie on animal rights :) give it a watch if u haven't

Unique life-impact and controversy potential with tempo/storyline flaws.

[lioil · 7/10 · 10 January 2011]

The film is unique in its impact potential but it lacks in the tempo/storyline fullness. I think that between recruiting Karl and unexpected meeting with father it was too fluffy and/or vaguely hinting. Its 56 votes rating is 9,8 now: I should feel like I have missed something. Without prospect of seeing it for the second time, I rather see my assessment as the most correct, just for the fact that almost all the other reviewers found it flawless. It just was not seen by enough law-abiding, humanocentric, monogamous meateaters who would from the emotional silliness vote it as awful same way as too many others found the poignant topic enough for a great filming achievement. I agree: the topic description is stunning and if I stop eating flesh now (I am ripe:) I will be this movie's heartbreaking witnessing; few movies have any real-change impact potential. Thus this movie should be seen by everybody and it feels only sad that its present cut is not as good as eg. its sibling Edukators (Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei) which lacks Bold's topic urgency yet works on all movie planes. I enjoyed the colourfullness of the characters: they are slightly off the balance as to be good and victims as opposed to a corrupt, terrorist frenzy-unsensitized regime, but not too much. (Is USA after 9/11 manners really mutating into bigbrothership?) Other highlight was the guitar song. I think that Joaquin Pastor is a great singer and should have tons of songs on you-tube...

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, stunned by the content

[ShaunIvory · 10/10 · 24 June 2010]

As the devoted father of a budding animal rights activist who is soon leaving for college, I am spending a few days at an animal rights conference to enjoy a few days with her before she goes to college and dyes her hair blue.

On the first night of the conference, I saw this movie surrounded by "the choir" I expected this movie to be "preaching" to. I didn't expect much from the movie itself. I was prepared to sit through a "labor of love" that was going to club me senseless with a heavy-handed agenda.

What I got instead was a well-written, well-acted, dramatic and surprising movie that often moved me to tears. The characters were all believable, and I didn't notice any of the distracting low-budget gaffes that plague so many movies like this one.

If I have any complaint, it was the non-linear sequence of the movie. I didn't figure out why he was orchestrating the climax until the movie itself pointed out the timeline and his motivation. I found myself confused, at times, about past and present.

I was already sympathetic to the message, but this movie has pushed me closer to accepting the challenge of living a vegan lifestyle. I think this movie has the power to change people in ways that horrifying documentary footage can't, because you are drawn into the struggle, instead of just being repelled by the reality of animal cruelty.

I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who loves animals, regardless of how their lifestyle or ideology.

Oh, and that pig was cute!

Will Surpass Your Expectations

[esmerillon · 10/10 · 27 January 2011]

You don't need to be an animal rights activist to find the movie cinematically enjoyable. Before I saw the movie, I expected the movie to be a slightly diluted advocacy "message" film. I was wrong. This movie way surpassed my expectations. The film is imaginatively well-written (and doesn't pummel you with agenda messages), well-acted with interesting characters (and not living scenery), dramatic, and has surprising elements. The casting was also superb.

While a couple reviews here find the sex/nudity scenes to be not needed, I actually, and surprisingly to myself (who normally would agree that this is the case in many movies), have to disagree. Without those scenes, it would take a lot of umph out of one of following powerful elements in the story.

This movie also gives a person a good crash course on current politics and government as it especially relates to the animal rights movement. Something that most people are ignorant of, and will likely find pretty shocking.

Everyone needs to see this movie

[labszg · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

Great movie without being preachy and very thought provoking. Great story, good plot, the actors they picked for the characters were a perfect match.

I bought this DVD since it's not showing in my area. This movie should get awards!!!! You also need to watch the "extras" at the end - from the documentaries on animal treatment to the happy stories from animal sanctuaries to the cast comments and interviews. I didn't know any of the actors with the exception of Randolph Mantooth (from the 70's Emergency TV fame) so it was fun to hear the actors comments. I loved the characters of Nicole (Ursula Whittaker) and I Rock (Tonya Kay) and her interaction with Richard Cranehill (Randy Mantooth).

Great film!

[hchandler-768-62140 · 9/10 · 17 June 2010]

I was blown away by this little indie flick. It's thought-provoking, inspiring, suspenseful and engaging. I hope this gets wide release; it's a very nicely done piece of fictional activism.

In addition to the fictional story line, viewers will learn about selected forms of real-world animal exploitation. Without understanding this, you might have a hard time understanding why the characters do what they do.

This film addresses various approaches to activism, and does pass judgment on the effectiveness of some. The cast seemed perfect for their roles and appeared to really identify with their characters.

I docked the film a little for one intimate scene that I thought went on too long and was actually unnecessary. Although it may not be perfect, this is still an amazing film that I won't soon forget.

Insightful, informative, entertaining, and most importantly: challenging

[greg-779-760561 · 10/10 · 1 July 2010]

Bold Native offers a lot for viewers to explore: good characters, intensive dialogue, dramatic editing, and a story line which dives deeply into a subject often seen as too extreme for the general public.

This film will inspire many important conversations, both amongst seasoned activists discussing tactics, ethics and methods, but more importantly amongst the uninitiated: those who have never considered animal cruelty as being something related to our food and lifestyle choices.

This has been a good year for films involving compassion towards animals, with the success of The Cove driving people towards thinking about animal cruelty in ways they might not have before. Still, people in the USA can watch that movie from afar in a way, thinking all throughout that animal cruelty is something which happens "over there" and not in close proximity to the comforts and norms of our own day to day lives.

What Bold Native does is to make the issue of animal cruelty immediate and engaging, by offering us a narrative about characters that are relatable and likable, in a story line that is believable, while at the same time showing throughout genuine footage of actual animal barbarism that isn't an overbearing onslaught like a propaganda video. Instead this intense footage is used sparingly and tastefully amidst the narrative, shocking to those who might be unaware of what is truly going on behind the food and clothing industries, and horrifying enough to hammer home the point that animal cruelty is happening all around us, everyday. The film poses a challenge to us: that if what we see is abhorrent and if we feel compelled to respond, that it is up to us to engage the issue directly, in whatever capacity we deem appropriate.

This is an undeniably challenging film.

thought provoking, can't wait to see it again

[joenapalm-810-156230 · 10/10 · 5 August 2010]

I also saw it at an animal rights conference. I would like to see it at least three more times. Once around friends who are not tuned into the concept of Animal Rights to hear their perspectives on it because I think that is who it is written for. Once around friends who are tuned into Animal Rights so I can see their reaction, and finally just sitting at home by myself so I can pause and rewind and just enjoy.

There aren't that many movies I want to see more than once and the ones that I do tend to be escapist. Instead this movie makes me think, holds my interest, and actually makes me want to discuss it.

I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.

Amazing! Dramatically worthy and a must for those who care about animals

[bonbonsf · 10/10 · 24 December 2010]

The film is a brilliant mesh of dramatic stay-on-the-edge-of-your-seat storyline with important documentary footage about the horrors suffered by animals of factory farms. The film is so high quality -- artful direction, skillful acting, compelling plot, beautiful cinematography and critical and pointed delivery of the message on behalf of the deplorable state of farm animals. I hope it reaches wide delivery.

The movie is so realistic that for the first several minutes I thought it was a documentary until I recognized the intense actor who plays the father. The dynamic of conflict between the son and the father is at the core of the story. However, the true heart of the movie is the plight of farm animals and the risks that activists take when they fight to improve the lives of those animals. The documentary footage is painful to watch, but it brings home the moral fiber of the message.

Highest recommendation!

Groundbreaking political thriller. The first of it's kind in the hopefully new animal rights/liberation genre...

[Phatp · 10/10 · 6 August 2010]

Bold Native is not an animal rights documentary. This is a groundbreaking, scripted film that portrays the complicated issues facing today's animal rights activists. The movie is a first of it's kind in the sense that it deals with the many controversial aspects, different strategies and the wide variety of advocacy positions that exist side by side in the modern animal welfare/rights/liberation movement. No other film has engaged itself with these topics using fiction, hypothetical situations, character development and a suspenseful storyline. This movie also exposes an important fact... that we all exist in a time where corporations, in alliance with our government, are cowardly using the fears of the masses regarding terrorism, to silence the free speech of those humans standing up for the non human animal individuals being tortured, mutilated and brutally killed by the same corporations.

No other scripted film has dealt with the despicable and little known federal law called the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act which was set up by the corporations (industries who profit from killing animals) by paying off elected politicians. No other film has concerned itself with the emotional, psychological, compassionate and political motivations of so many human beings who risk their own freedom to fight for and liberate the nearly billions of non humans who are oppressed and killed every day. It's nearly impossible to create anything new in the world of film that hasn't been done before. Hollywood has been going out of its way to make sure that everything that it churns out.... has been made two or three times before and 'focused grouped' to never ending insanity. Yet, Bold Native stands out as original among everything else recently released by the big machine that creates the same movies over and over. This is bold filmmaking to say the least.

The films logo of the HOPE piglet is a wonderful metaphor for the future of a possible state of the world. A state of the world where liberating the other animals from oppression and fighting for their rights will one day be seen as rational, sane and just. But the logo might also represent hope for a new more meaningful filmmaking that will hopefully start to include themes about the injustice and prejudices which the other species of the world must endure under human chauvinism. Bold Native is the essence/definition of great revolutionary filmmaking and real HOPE.

Come on Hollywood....get on board!

Excellent Movie

[ckhawkins · 10/10 · 11 July 2010]

I saw this movie in Portland, as part of the Let Live festival. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I honestly didn't have high hopes. I was very pleasantly surprised. It's content is serious and thought provoking, while also being witty and fun. The acting and film quality were really great. I think I expected it to have the air of a fictional documentary, which it did not, and I was glad.

I think this is a movie for everyone, not just animal rights activists.

I did not have any problem following the movie in the time line it was presented, as another reader pointed out. I really loved every bit of it. Yay Bold Native!

My new favorite movie!

[whitneythedryad · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

I absolutely loved this movie! I found it to be very powerful and moving. The storyline was great and, as far as I know, the first of it's kind. All of the animal rights themed films I have seen in the past have been documentaries. I think this film will open the topic up to a whole new audience. It was very well made and the acting was excellent. I found the characters to be very likable and interesting. Though it is about animal liberation, I think it could be equally enjoyable to those who are not interested in animal rights. It does cover some animal rights issues and contains some real footage from inside labs and factory farms but only in a way that is necessary to the plot. I think it gives significant insight into the world of animal liberation, which is something that is seldom discussed and even more seldom understood. I enjoyed being able to put a face, even a fictional one, to the masked figures I had seen in various pictures and videos. I bought the DVD the first day that it was available and I intend to watch it many times. I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone!

Mind-blowing, heart-wrenching but FUN film

[jschluet · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

I'm in love with this movie. I bought it the day it was available on DVD, and I've watched it 4 times since then (two weeks ago). It's a great movie for anyone who loves drama, who loves comedy, who loves adventure, who loves to question authority, and who has ever loved even a single animal in their life. I can't wait to see the next project from these filmmakers!! The production value is stunning considering it was an independent film. The performances are incredible. The writing/directing/editing is spot on- the people behind this project knew how to take a movie about animal liberation and make it exciting and intriguing rather than preachy and education. I can't think of a negative thing to say about this film. Please enjoy.

Great film!

[ulka-agarwal · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

I saw the film in SF and loved it! I didn't know much about it before I watched it so I was pleasantly surprised. It is really well cast and well directed. Some farm industry footage was difficult to watch but well within the context of the film and not overdone. Really funny too despite the heavy theme. You don't have to be an "animal person" to enjoy or appreciate this film. It has an important message that is delivered in a way that makes you think about the choices we make in life and the consequences. So much of the dialogue is stuff I think or have said myself, so I could relate to the characters. Overall an entertaining and inspiring film!

excellent film

[scott-m-chase · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

Bold Native is more than an AR film. It captures the intense world of ordinary people who take the lives of fellow sentient beings into their owns hands. The cinematic aspects are amazing as it intermixes real, undercover footage of animal liberation actions with the narrative story footage. Though at times very painful to watch,anyone who still thinks that large organic dairy or egg farms are nice to animals needs to watch this. "Life is life--whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage"

-until every cage is empty-

Such an awesome film!

[patrickmolly · 10/10 · 14 December 2010]

This movie could have gone really wrong. The subject matter is intense and one that does not have much light on it right now. At the end of the day this was an excellent made film regardless of the subject matter. The characters, the cinematography and the music was all brilliant. It was incredibly witty, it had me rolling' in parts. I can't wait to see this movie again - and I very rarely feel that way about a film. It made me think, it made me cry, it made me laugh. What more can you ask of any film? On top of it's brilliance it presents a bigger story than the film itself. There are movies that should be made mandatory to watch and this is one of them.

A totally new genre perhaps?

[fox_trotter · 9/10 · 14 December 2010]

This film is a like a breath of fresh air to the animal rights movement. I have seen many films over the years which could be described as preaching, gory and downright disturbing, and this film is none of these! It entertains, educates and apart from one fairly explicit (and unnecessary in my view) sex scene could be a PG rating in the UK.

The real footage of animal abuse which is inserted subtly here and there throughout the film, most people will find unacceptable but helps to describe the motivation of the main characters. The film also explores how big business has interfered with the US justice system, so that members of the ALF are considered worse (in a judicial sense) than the KKK!

I'm probably not selling the film very well here but most importantly it is an entertaining story. So to the general public: Get your noses out of Fox News and the Daily Mail and find out what really goes on in the Animal Liberation Front, the variety of people who do these actions and the reasons which drive them to these actions.

In conclusion: An excellent indie film which sets a new standard in activist films.

Powerful. Provocative. Thoughtful

[james-mouritsen · 9/10 · 18 April 2012]

Bold Native is a great film, but not always easy to watch. It doesn't blink as it reflects some of humankind's horrendous treatment of our fellow earthlings, but it inspires hope, as the story follows a group of young people motivated and capable of taking direct action to save some fellow animals who have been wrongly imprisoned in torture cages. Side stories woven into the narrative follow others who try to make change for animals in their ways; a lobbyist who spends a lifetime meeting corporate hacks and begging for small changes in massive companies' practices of animal imprisonment and murder; other activists driven to different extremes in their desire to effectuate change in human's treatment of other animals; and a father drawn into the unfamiliar world of radicals reaching for change beyond the limits of the law.

Do the Ends Justify the Means?

[julie-hinman · 9/10 · 28 March 2011]

This is a unique and passionate film. Passion shown within the relationships between the various characters including father and son, as well as for the need to change the way we view animals.

We see that the global society in which we live has served to make us all caged and unfulfilled animals. A few are able to break out of this, in one way or another.

The moral question is posed as to when people are driven by frustration and an ultimate compassion to act in a cruel way to other people, is this justified or is it acting no better than those who cause cruelty to animals?

The characterisation and plot was well written and directed, with balance between action and quieter moments. I quite liked the slightly confused time line, as to me it reflected the fact that decisions and thoughts are not necessarily linear/logical. There were a couple of moments when the dialogue did become "preachy" which made me cringe. It is tricky to place facts in dialogue and maintain the believability of the characters, but I think on these occasions the message could have been brought across in a more subtle and less awkward way.

This is a film which hopefully will make people aware of the extent and barbarity of our exploitation of other species which continues unrelenting every single day.

Only a psychopath could view this film and not be affected in some way. Hopefully, people will not forget what they have been shown.

I eat meat every day - Not just for animal rights nuts

[ansarya · 10/10 · 8 July 2020]

I don't mean to offend by saying "nuts" but you know what I mean, most of us just don't think about it.

Most of the reviews here are so very clearly in a similar political grouping that I want to speak up that those of us who don't have Animal Rights as our personal cause also love this movie and I usually don't eat a hamburger for at least a week or two when I rewatch Bold Native.

This movie is amazing and Denis Henry Hennelly just kills it like he does in Goodbye World. It is engaging from beginning to end with great dialog and I love the camera work and editing.

I do wish Joaquin Pastor was in anything else, he does such a great job in this.

And the message, about animals, corporations, and family, does affect people even if not all their behaviors change. I will never be vegan but I will feel guilty and push for ethical farming.

It's such a good movie!