NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

alicecbr Of course, my love for Matt Dillon makes it impossible for me to dislike ANY movie he is in. But my problem is with the disconnects in this movie, which may be deliberate. Where did the sweet neighbor of the disturbed mother's childhood move? Why was she as dismissive of her son as Kyra's parents were of her, the 'normal' one not the mentally damaged one, and what's with the unmarked poison bottle that destroyed her child's brains? Why does Matt show up and then disappear? Was he supposed to impregnate Kyra because he reminded her son of 'his father', whom he had never met?Great acting by all involved, but as I watched Danny Glover as the island neighbor, I couldn't help but think of the "The Saint of Monument Ave", that movie about the homeless pair, Danny and a mentally impaired Matt Dillon. You can't say he doesn't choose a wide variety of roles. It disturbed me that I couldn't find a review of this movie in the latest movie review books. The reason perhaps that critics found problems with the score was that it featured nepotism, Kevin Bacon's brother. No puzzle about why it was sub-par. The movie, for us who grew up in the 60s, features the neglect, inadvertent, by hippie parents who loved love, but forgot about the nurturing needed by their own kids, as they became the 'love generation', which segued into the 'Me' generation of the 70s. Funny how that works. And now, our kids' kids are raised by child care institutions, safe and sterile. Great movie about the effect of neglect on following generations.

b-gaist The problem with this film is that it tries to do too much. It is basically an attempt to describe the intergenerational dysfunctionality of the family of the main character, played ably at times by Kyra Sedgwick. Nevertheless, there are other moments when this female character, who is otherwise clearly possessed by numerous demons, just comes across as plain silly. Silliness isn't necessarily out of tune with what is really happening in this complex, but poorly-told tale; Kyra Sedwick's "parents" in the film are also silly, goofing around until the poignant moment when they realise their 10-year-old daughter singing David Bowie's "Life on Mars" acapella at her school's end-of-year show, is a reference to their freakishness. But the real, deep, important questions the movie raises are left frustratingly unaddressed and unanswered: how can two people who are so crazy about one another ignore the fruit of their love? When does a mother's love turn from genuine care into stifling, morbid possessiveness? At one point, the mother is trying to defend her refusal to let her son attend school by quoting Emerson and Alessandra Montessori; but it is never really clear just what it is she actually dreams for her son, other than always having him by her side. She confesses to the viewer, "I admit, I encouraged arrogance" in her son, but the boy is the only reasonable one of the pair, showing behaviour of a maturity beyond his years. All this confuses the film's audience even further. Perhaps the fact itself that the movie asks these questions is to it's credit; but it ultimately fails to deliver on it's promise.

Loraine Birkenstock A very fanciful film about a woman who grew up without parents (for all intents and purposes) and who is abandoned by the only maternal figure in her life, (the neighbor) who grows up to be an obsessive and controlling mother who's entire world revolves around her little boy. He is home-schooled and kept from any other kids his own age, his mother wanting desperately for him to stay not only her little boy, but also her best friend, forever. Through many flashbacks (all done in a very rosy colored lens and 'artistic' camera movements) we learn how strange and lonely her childhood was, by way of being an excuse for how she turned out.All in all, this movie had potential. It's an interesting, if not groundbreaking, concept, with a cast that should at least peak your interest. Once you get into the movie, you immediately notice that Kevin decided that this would be an 'Art Movie', going for the over-reaching yet badly executed camera work and over uses his color filters and softening lenses. Although built on a good premise, the movie never gives you the incentive to get involved with the characters, and there is little to no development. It lacks the meat you want in an art movie, and the charm you expect from an out-of-mainstream flick.My impression? It's not dismal, because it's never extreme enough for that. It gives the impression that it was directed by a first-time to Hollywood director, who called in a few favors cast wise. Not worth it.

Ubuman I read this book and saw the film at the Hamptons International Film Festival (10/2005). This is a complex and nuanced story about a single mother's obsessive love for her only child. The story explores the psychology of this obsession and the sometimes sublime, sometimes tragic effects it has on the lives of both mother and son. It is a wonderful adaptation of a novel by Victoria Redel (Greywolf 2001, Harcourt 2002 in paperback) that I imagine would present some challenges given its non-linear time frame and the careful parsing of its secret twists and turns. The acting is superb and the characters portrayed are funny, endearing, and multifaceted. Marissa Tomei and Kevin Bacon are hilarious as the 70's era, sexed up, deliriously in love and sadly neglectful parents. Kyra Sedgwick is brilliant as she confidently captures the complex subtleties of her character, making it easy for the audience to empathize with what would otherwise be, and at times is a difficult and disturbing obsessiveness. Other performances by Sandra Bullock as the sultry and insightful neighbor, Oliver Platt as the nervous and nerdy school administrator, and Matt Dillon as the love interest you can't help but root for, all contribute to what is a very entertaining and meaningful film.