For such an important topic as homophobia (and, in general, any kind of fear & aggression towards a certain group of people), this movie does not have any input. In my opinion that is because it is so painfully stereotypical! The gay couple consists of two quite rich, handsome, big-hearted and loving each other madly men. Gentle, soft, sincere, helpful - all what's best in a human. What is worst in us is represented by the characters of gay-haters. They are all double-faced, buttoned-up till their necks (and I mean also the clothes they wear), always making evil faces and keeping their muscles in amazingly visible tension. Especially the preacher's son seems to me like a parody of himself. Just like in a Bollywood movie: his eyebrows look very angry, so that you don't miss, he is very angry. Add some angry music in the background and it's ready: he is very angry. Put one stereotype against another, and is becomes comic rather than dramatic. Also, the depth of a relationship between preacher and his son is lost. And it's a shame, that could bring more light to what happens. Why does suddenly a detective with a camera appear to follow the son? (BTW, the movie have few more logic gaps, e.g. no password for a computer if you want to hide something really really "nasty" and "perverted"). Despite the shallow treatment of the gay-haters topic, it is worth to see the movie for it's way of playing with silence and for it's beautiful pictures. I really thought I felt the atmosphere of that town. Beautiful and touching. Unfortunately, the way of talking about the hate-crime did not touch me. It just happened, because one side was good and the other was bad. Black & white world, just like in conservative minds.
Review of Hate Crime
