CommentsXp Best movie ever!

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

brehierv This movie isn't for everyone it is very dark, very dirty, and very real. Lee Daniels takes you to a place where most movies don't even dare to show their audiences. The twists and turns that this movie will take you on will keep you wondering what the hell am I going to see next. Outstanding performances from everyone in the cast. This movie should be held to a higher regard.

MovieCritic98 This is a terrible movie. It is amazing that the big-name stars in this movie signed on for this piece of garbage. Technically, Nicole Kidman did a good job of playing her character, but it is all for nothing. Garbage script in, garbage movie out. Don't waste your time on this one. I regret having to give one star when it deserves zero.

Woodyanders Rural Florida in the late 1960's. Idealistic reporter Ward Jansen (a fine portrayal by Matthew McCanaughey), his more cynical partner Yardley Acheman (well played to the obnoxiously uptight hilt by David Oyelowo), Ward's wide-eyed innocent younger brother Jack (a solid and likable performance by Zac Effron), and slutty death row groupie Charlotte Bless (a marvelously tart turn by Nicole Kidman) discover that odious convicted killer Hillary Von Wetter (a splendidly slimy John Cusack) was framed for the murder of a corrupt sheriff.Director Lee Daniels, who also co-wrote the bold and pulpy script with Peter Dexter, offers a flavorsome warts and all evocation of the deep south setting in which bigotry and oppression still reign supreme, ably crafts a pleasing trashy tone, grounds the premise in a plausibly sordid everyday reality, and relates the engrossing story at a steady pace. Moreover, the colorful array of enjoyably quirky characters, sweaty'n'seamy downhome atmosphere, and frank addressing of such tough issues as racism, homosexuality, and the toxic perils of worshipping criminals all give this film an extra tangy and potent kick. The uniformly excellent acting by the bang-up cast keeps this movie humming: Efron proves that he's more than just a pretty face, Kidman has a ball with her brash hillbilly trollop role, and McCanaughey does his usual sturdy work, plus there are ace supporting contributions from Macy Gay as sassy maid Anita, Scott Glenn as crusty patriarch W.W. Jansen, and Ned Bellamy as fearsome no-count hood Tyree. Roberto Schaefer's sharp widescreen cinematography offers several snazzy stylistic flourishes. The grim ending packs a devastating punch. An edgy and intriguing little beaut.

Spacenaz I don't really even know what the movie was fully about after watching it, I guess the story of Cusack's character and the murders...? I knew nothing about this movie, and vaguely remember seeing some poster with multiple big name actors and I swore one of them was Brad Pitt, so when I started this movie I thought it was a Pitt movie...Well, I was surprised by who was in it, and pleasantly so as each new character was introduced. I like M'Con, I find he does have a place in Hollywood movies. As I've mentioned before I am a fan of Cusack, so it was a surprise when his creepy prisoner character showed up.There are several weird and kind of disturbing parts in this movie. The scene with Cusack and Kidman in the prison was just gross, but apparently it was arousing to old M'Con's character. It felt like it was trying to hard to be dark, and the narration from a mush mouthed and incoherent (literally) Macy Gray was very annoying. I had to strain to understand what she was saying, because she doesn't seem to pronounce her words very well. She acted fairly well in this movie, it's just she was hard to understand. The Paperboy had some strange moments with Cusack in the swamp, and Zac Efron saying the N word, it really wasn't that good. The actors in this movie are all quite good, it's just the poor story and narration that makes this movie a fail. From what others have said repeated viewings help to improve the murkiness of the story and things you may have missed become clearer. I may give this one another shot another time, but for now it stands as a weird one for me. 5/10