BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

manuel-henzler87 This movie is just different. I was quite confused after the movie and had first to decide if i like the movie or not. I totally agree with other persons, that there is not really a rising story or a climax. I also agree that there are several scenes when you expect something to happen and it didn't happen anything. But that's exactly the reason why the movie is so subtly powerful. The whole story is very authentic. Every person handles the situation different, in his own way. The relation between the two sisters is displayed in a great way.... when you think what happened in the beginning and that the bigger sister didn't mention anything about that the whole time. A very good movie in detail.

TxMike It should seem obvious, but when we are in the thick of parenthood we don't really think of this ... there is no guide, no "right" way to be a successful parent. Those of us who are parents (I have 5 children) know it well, we do the best we can at the moment and hope it is the right thing.That is precisely what is going on in this movie. The family, now only 3 of them, lost their wife and mom. Going from what they were to what they will be is a very uncertain path. So dad, a professor in Chicago, decides to take an opportunity to teach in Italy and hoping the change of scenery will help all of them overcome the grief and move on with their lives.Colin Firth is the dad and professor, Joe. The 10-yr-old daughter is Perla Haney-Jardine as Mary. She has guilt feelings, she thinks she was responsible for her mom's death. The 16-yr-old daughter is Willa Holland as Kelly. She probably blames both her dad and her sister for mom's death, and she is at the age where she will figure out how to do exactly what she wants, and in Genoa there are plenty of virile young men to help her have fun.Another key character is Catherine Keener as Barbara, an old friend of Joe's from their days at Harvard. Barbara is in Genoa also, is very helpful, seems to want to pursue a relationship with Joe, but that only creates tension.My wife and I enjoyed the movie. It doesn't end in a nice, all loose ends tied up manner, so some will not like it. But it is an excellent study of how a family might deal with grief and a new city all at once.SPOILERS: Mom and the 2 girls were driving somewhere in the winter, there was some snow on the road, and they were playing a game where the kids put their hands over their eyes and try to guess the color of the passing car. Kelly is doing quite well, but Mary always guesses wrong. Without any thought of what might happen, Mary reached over from the back seat and put her hands over mom's eyes, causing a crash, and mom died. So she was responsible, and sister Kelly was angry with her from then on, for messing up her life, taking mom away. Plus Mary had visions of mom, and sometimes awake screaming about mom. When the movie ended the summer was over, school in Genoa was starting, and we can only hope the family can work through their issues.

rogerskf From the very beginning, to the very end of the film, the viewer is presented with a sense of foreboding and impending doom. The subtle passages of a typical child's life, complicated by the death of loved one, promotes a deep concern for the young characters' safety and well-being. These concerns intensify as the movie progresses. By the end of the movie, the viewer is left deep in thought, and somewhat conflicted.The director brilliantly gives the audience a heart-pounding glimpse of what it feels like everyday to parent tweens and teens. The balance of love, concern and worry is in every clip. The film's ending exemplifies the simplicity of just another day in the cycle of fear and pain that accompanies the love of a child.

paprikash2 Colin Firth in a bit of a thankless pumpkinhead role. He takes daughters, guilt-driven tween Mary and sexpot teen Kelly to Genoa for a year after his wife dies suddenly in a car accident. The British reviewers seem to acclaim his performance as "understated" and "grief-driven" but I find him clueless and baffling. His younger daughter is clearly in a state of near psychosis, and his older daughter is sexually acting out in a rather dangerous way. He says and does virtually nothing about either. I guess this is "keeping a stiff upper lip." In fact, the entirety of his role in this film seems to be to act as Julie, the Cruise Director from the Love Boat. Catherine Keener is, as usual excellent, but the only thing she gets to do is inveigh him to pay some attention. I thought the whole thing confounding.