Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

graceandpeace-paul As an avid movie fan, not a cinema critic, just a fan of good movies... I enjoyed this movie immensely. There are times when I want to see a movie based on certain criteria, however this was not one of them. There are times I become so frustrated with reviewers who pick apart a movie to death... get a life some of you. I just wanted to sit back and enjoy a decent movie. Not over-think it to death with how the cinematographer was too into hi/her scenes, how bad/good the acting was... do you think you could do a better job? Get some popcorn curl up alone or with someone you love, pop this movie in and escape for a while... suspend belief... this ain't no documentary... enjoy the soundtrack (awesome in my opinion), and have a good time. Remember this is just a review from a former Bronx NYC boy. Enjoy it.

cityoflosangeles Backlight is a strange but wonderful film. First it's a 100% Portuguese production but it was filmed 100% in the United States. How strange is that? Very! Production decisions apart, the film works pretty well. The script is brilliant, the acting is excellent and the cinematography is beautiful, which makes Backlight my film of the year, and probably the best film I've seen in quite a few years. The film looks at the adversities of life and gambles with it. The characters are all interlinked in a very random way, it's a little like 6 degrees of separation. The film is set mostly in the deserts of Nevada and Arizona and the director keeps the shots wide revealing the magnificent backdrops and always moves the camera wisely to bring the picture alive. The characters are deep and insightful, each has a serious problem to face up to and the subtle, naturalistic way their issues play out make for truly emotional cinema. This is not a film about heroes, it's a film about trying to make the right choices when your back is to the wall, and the doubts that go with this. Great uplifting movie, especially if you are and have been with depression. I think this film could be a great alternative to Prozac! : )

monera-2 I'm from Portugal and i really wanted this movie to be good, to be proud of Portuguese cinema but...The movie has a lot of mistakes, like out of focus pictures (scene where mother and daughter talk on the roof) and the scene where the boy is talking with the old men on the car.The acting is mostly bad, except for the Mother which is REALLY REALLY, dreadful bad.The idea of the movie was good, but the bad plot, the catastrophic acting (have i mentioned how bad the mother's acting was?) and out of focus pictures just become unacceptable.There are far better movies in Portugal, we didn't needed to go to USA to make such a bad movie...If you want my advice watch real Portuguese movies and not this...

suspyria I was really excited to go and see this movie in the theater. It seemed interesting enough, conveying some kind of powerful message, and i usually like these kinds of movies. But halfway through the film i was already feeling really disappointed. The story is pretty predictable (i kinda guessed the end halfway through the movie), basic and a bit blah. You keep expecting it too pick up but it never does. It's entertaining enough (it didn't bore me to death), but it lacks something. The relationship between the mother and the daughter is completely unrealistic, and so are the links that join all the characters together in the end. It's okay if you want to rent it from your local DVD rent store, but don't waste your money on a theater ticket.