Neo Ned
Neo Ned is a 2005 film starring Jeremy Renner, Gabrielle Union, Sally Kirkland, Cary Elwes, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Ethan Suplee. It was written by Tim Boughn and directed by Van Fischer. Synopsis. The film stars Jeremy Renner as Ned Nelson, a Skinhead who ends up in a mental institution where he meets Rachael (Gabrielle Union), a black woman claiming to be the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. The unlikely couple's hookup leads them down a shocking road to recovery. Reception. Mark Olsen gave the film 3.5 out of five in his "Los Angeles Times" review, where he  wrote, "It's a little rough around the edges, to be sure, but with such strong lead performances there is something irresistible in the film's audaciously straight-faced portrayal of such an unlikely relationship." "Variety" reviewer John Anderson also reviewed the film favorably, writing, "Neo Ned may be ludicrous on paper, but it has what fans of independent film are looking for -- atmosphere, humanity and just a dash of fantastic drama." "Film Threat" writer Mark Bell gave the film 4.5 out of 5, writing, "Never boring, never pretentious, never preachy, Neo Ned could find its place alongside some of  the great independent romance films of all time, if enough people are able to catch a glimpse of it." The film's treatment of its subject matter and tone was criticized, with Jasmyne Keimig writing that "The disgust over Neo Ned is rightfully deserved. The movie carelessly throws around the n-word and other acts of violence for humor" and "L.A. Weekly" writer Matthew Duersten stating, "The problem lies in the film's inability to decide whether such loaded images are funny in a Farrelly Brothers/Dave Chapelle kind of way or if they mean something deeper." Gabrielle Union expressed  dissatisfaction with her performance in this film over Twitter. Awards. To date, the film has won 10 film awards, out of 10 total nominations. Film release. After three years of festival screenings (from 2005's Tribeca Film Festival premiere to 2008's Suppository Films Reelblack Festival), the film premiered on Starz on August 19, 2008. It was picked up for distribution by CodeBlack Entertainment, which released the film on DVD on December 2, 2008.