Shades of Gray

Friendship is never black and white. There are always Shades of Gray. Most of us have one, that friend you hate for who he is but still love him for who he is.

SoG takes us to a place where 5 friends set out to teach a "former friend" a lesson in friendship and hardship. Each character tells their own story in a humorous flashback segment explaining why they have decided to come together to exact their revenge on their former friend. Beyond the humor is the bigger story of how one event, from a single person can change the life of another person, for better or worse. The flashback segments are a riot as well as realistic. I found myself laughing but also relating to some of the stories told by the actors. Erik, the main character, is the center of attention for each story but the limelight isn't so bright that the plot is misdirected. The story/action kept a very good pace throughout the entire film. The ending left no gaps and no loose ends and even had a pleasant twist. It was amazingly tied together to complete the tale of 5 people with one common goal.

Financially this film may have been low budget but the quality of the acting and directing are anything but. If someone had created a follow-up film for "Stand By Me", this could very well be it.