Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Michael Ledo PLOT SPOILER REVIEW...if I understand it.The story is about a precocious, insolent, young American boy Prescott (Tom Sweet), growing up in France as his dad (Liam Cunningham) negotiates the Treaty of Versailles, which many say lead to the second World War. H.L. Mencken claimed the Second World War was fought because we backed the wrong side in the first war.The film is organized as a musical opera, implying there is a conductor over us and history is set whether it is Hitler or Prescott, the wheels are in motion. The dialogue about history "It happened before" shows that things go in cycles and nothing really can stop it.The picture is nearly half in French. It is slow and boring, even the groping parts. The parents gave Prescott far too much freedom, although that is certainly not the case of evil dictators making me question what was the whole point? And the gap between the childhood and the last 8-10 minutes of the film, I would consider more important than Prescott dressing up as a girl, groping his teacher and screaming he doesn't believe in prayer. Yawn.The film has won numerous awards and is critically acclaimed. I think everyone is out of step, but Johnny.Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.

sindavide I give a 5 because the aforementioned good points: soundtrack, acting, photography. Unfortunately the message of the film is twisted, confused and quite wrong. As if dictatorships and fascism existed because of neglected children. Come on. Where is history? Historical context is only an almost meaningless background, totally absent from the chore of the story and cause of events. It's been replaced by Freudian childhood traumas. The connection between the unhappy childhood, unempathic mother, absent father and the soviet- like uniforms in the end is totally arbitrary, as if fascism and socialism were the same. Could have been a good film if only the writers had studied some history and were a bit cultured. This film is a cheap and pretentious try to make a meaningful work. For ignorant people who like to think highly of themselves.

adonis98-743-186503 A chronicle of the childhood of a post-World War I leader. The fact that i even wasted 1 hour and 56 minutes of my life in this film makes me a pretty dumb person to be honest. I do like some of the actors that star in this film like Liam Cunningham, Robert Pattinson and even Stacy Martin. But the movie doesn't give to anyone any actual chance to prove their actual talent i mean common? What was even the purpose to have Robert Pattinson in this movie? He doesn't do anything he is useless and the fact that he plays even a 2nd role the role of the Leader makes no sense at all and what makes it even worse it's how fake the beard and his bold head look like. The parents of Prescott both pretty much suck at Parenting especially his Father he doesn't even try to come closer with his son and the same goes for his Mother even the characters that i thought were at least decent like Mona and the Teacher even those turned out to be pretty screwed up and the entire film makes no freaking sense it doesn't have a script, a story and it definitely doesn't have a good director, the movie has all those boring long shots of people walking up and down stairs with some pretty good music (the only good thing about the movie) playing in the background in scenes that aren't even supposed to be epic. The first 59 to 60 minutes were kinda and i say kinda half decent but once the film started going for one hour it started going downhill with some pretty dumb hilarious dialogue like the mother saying "i'm bleeding" when clearly she isn't as her husband touches her and his response is like "i'm not in mood anymore bye" seriously stuff like that actually happen in the movie. And Prescott's behavior doesn't even make that much of a sense on it's own he is just running around and he either stays in his room without eating or just falls down a couple of times. Plus the final shot of the film is the most dizzy and stupid scene i have seen in a movie in years it makes Paul Greengrass shaky cam look like a Masterpiece. Overall this movie did start kinda promising and like i said the soundtrack was pretty good and even haunting at times but it's used in moments that shouldn't even have music like that i would advice you to never seen this movie. (1/10)

samkan A movie usually immediately tells you what it's about. Some prolong introduction. In my opinion, the longer a film can conceal it's motive -while simultaneously gluing your eyes to the screen and grabbing your attention by the throat- the better the film. TCOAL is a great film. Not a horror film as advertised. Not even a suspense film. Indeed, if the viewer were lucky enough to have had NO introduction to the film; e.g., via trailers, blurbs, reviews, etc., one would have no idea of TCOAL's intent until the very final scene. This appears to have frustrated, angered, etc., most of the COMMENTERs of this film. It stunned and enthralled me. You may never see another film like this one. I, for one, hope to.