jamespatricknelson

What a beautifully meditative and haunting love story. The massive historical narrative is rendered with an uncanny intimacy and rich interiority that draws you in, and makes you lean forward and invest in the youthful, heartfelt romance. The performances are nicely understated and the camera's gaze has a lyrical glow that invites us have to have faith in the good that lies ahead, no matter what conflict the protagonists encounter along the way. In a moment of resurfacing prejudice and violence all around the world, there is a lot of value in stories that remind us the worst of humanity cannot dampen the best of it. And my goodness, the stylistic shift at the start of the third act is such an emotional gut punch. My heart jumped into my throat, it was so beautiful.

Such a wonderful film! When I first saw it, I could feel the whole audience becoming so endeared to it so quickly. The performances are all wonderful, and the story subverts tropes and expectations, delivering something very complex and original, while still feeling very personal. It delivers several big laughs in the first half, and when the twist occurs, I found myself wanting to laugh and feeling devastated at the same time. It's so galvanizing how people can be quick to judge people they don't understand, assuming the worst, when all we want to do is sit down to dinner and give people we love the gift of good food. So excited to see more of this project coming soon!

This is such a beautiful, deeply familiar story. When I first saw it a few years back, I was immediately endeared to it and have gone back and rewatched a couple time since. I felt like I'd never seen a film that so charmingly reflected so many aspects of my childhood. It's so utterly enchanting. The whole ensemble had incredible chemistry and give beautiful, commanding performances. It evokes such a yearning nostalgia, recalling memories of being a young queer person on the cusp of a new chapter of life. And it's so unique to see a group of kids balancing a religious upbringing with a love of the theater. Full of surprises. A must see!!

I'm so inspired by these remarkable young artists telling such a visceral and surprising story, with such heart-stopping visuals and profound suspense. It just keeps getting better and better!

"Bite Me" has such an incredible blend of the classic and the irreverent. The structure and the tone is reminiscent of the best heart-warming rom-coms of yesteryears - it's the kind of joyful love story you see so rarely these days. And while it deftly adheres to a familiar narrative construct, there's nothing formulaic or predictable about it - it's utterly unique. It's something we've all been craving, and it's something we've never seen before. The story is about people who feel like they're on the fringes of society (for a variety of reasons) fighting for acceptance and belonging. It's a really delightful, glorious film.