Goran-Visnjic Movie Reviews

I don't understand why I can't find in this video collection the following videos: "Erotica", "Deeper and Deeper", "This Used To Be My Playground", "I'll Remember", "I Want You", "You Must Love Me" and "You'll See". Has Madonna ever said something about it? This video collection would've been 5 stars if they had included (some of) them.

Don't get me wrong, the videos here are really good, but it's like eating a piece of chocolate cake with no cherry on the top. What happened Madonna? You know it's not fair.

A great collection to accompany the '91 Immaculate Collection.

I don't believe that Madonna would've excluded 'Erotica' on the collection since she initially chose that video, the choice was stupidly made by WARNER. So it doesn't have 'Erotica', big deal. Her 'Sex' Book pretty much illustrates the video.

And it wouldn't have made sense to include 'I'll Remember' and 'This Used to Be my Playground' because the videos pretty much show more of the movie scenes than Madonna, so they were no special. And the 'Justify My Love' video is still sold in stores like Tower Records as a separate video, so you can still get that.

Though a few look like they were edited over, you'll be dazzled by the visual effects you see in such videos like 'BedTime Story' and 'Ray of Light'and 'Fever'; and some great choreography in 'Human Nature' and 'Beautiful Stranger'. There's also some great cinematography in videos like 'Rain', each video is very well themed.

I could have given it 5 stars but I only gave it 4 due to the 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore' video. While the lighting was all right in it, it was boring. Oh well, they can't all be great.

But it's still a wonderful keeper and carefully illustrates Madonna as the true performance artist that she is, hopefully in another few years she'll have a third collection out.

Yes, I miss the sorely deleted videos in this collection: "Erotica" (which I think is one of her best, especially the last few syllables in the song when she exerts "Eroti---CA" while coyly tweetering the whip), "You'll See", "Deeper and Deeper" (that opening with her in the Mercedes is classic and very LA) and even "I'll Remember" (yeah, it was a movie tie-in, but what do you think "Beautiful Stranger" is?). But one needs to remember the likewise forgotten cuts from "Immaculate Collection": "Gambler" "Into the Groove" "Justify My Love" Oh well. Regardless, this collection is a testament to Madonna's prowess and uncanny aptitude in making some of our generation's most unforgettable music videos. Her best video here are (in order): Rain, Bad Girl, Frozen, and Drowned World/Substitute for Love. Forget what Warner blasphemed here but celebrate the artist behind these videos!

As a journalist familiar with Yugoslavia and the tragedies of its breakway states, I was prepared to dislike this movie about foreign journalists working during the siege of Sarajevo. I thought, here goes Hollywood exploiting an abomination of the 20th Century. What I saw, in fact, humbled me and moved me to many tears. Director Michael Winterbottom takes an unflinching, docudrama approach, integrating real news footage of atrocities with his no frills production. There is no exploitation of suffering here. Winterbottom has an unabashed agenda: to shock, inform, educate and enlighten. It is hardly entertainment. The result, devoid of sentimentality, glamour and a neatly-packaged denoument, is refreshingly un-Hollywood. The characters played by Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei in a small role, Kerry Fox, Stephen Dillane and the fine Croatian actor Goran Visnjic, examine dilemmas journalists habitually face in war zones or not: how to remain objective, whether compassion is appropriate and whether or not to become involved with a story. The journalists, part of a profession where bravado, gallow humour and stamina for drink and adrenalin go with the territory, bring these characteristics to the fore in their perilous bunker, Sarajevo's infamous Holiday Inn. The film is based partly on the true story of Michael Henderson's (played by Dillane) experience in war-torn Bosnia. Henderson, then others, cross the line of objectivity in their promise to help some of the traumatised children of the bombarded city. There are no easy answers in war. I read ... how the film moved a physician to serve in Bosnia and has been used to educate students in modern history. Who needs an Oscar with real life affirmations such as these?

I served in the US Army with SFOR. I think this is an excellent and well done film. It is perhaps the most accurate film that I have seen concerning the war in Bosnia. It not only accurately reflects and shows the genocide that was carried out by Slobodan Milosevic, Ratko Mladic and Rodavan Kradzic but it also gives hints but does not quite come out to expose the whole truth. As a soldier who served in Bosnia I will tell you the whole truth that this film seeks to poke at. It shows how the United States acted as accomplices to Slobodan Milosevic's genocide that was carried out against the Bosnian muslim population. It plainly shows American officials lying to the American people. I would also like to add the Former President Clinton has seen this movie himself with actor Woody Harrelson and Mr. Clinton knows full well that he lied to the American people about what was really going on in Bosnia. To be honest with you.... it is a truth that must be told. I am aching to tell it to everybody I can find. I was shocked to see the dead bodies when I was in Bosnia and further shocked to discover the lies the US government told the American people. I think it is very important for every american to watch this film. In order to fully understand the film I highly recommend Peter Maass's book "Love They Neighbor." He reported on the war in Bosnia.

admittedly i rented this out because of Goran Visnjic being in it..but that wasnt the main reason.As the opening scene unfolded i could see that this wasnt a film for the faint hearted, that on the way to a wedding the mother of the bride is shot dead.With the film progressing and the character of Risto(Visnjic)becoming more important I felt myself being drawn into what was happening, and could not help but be moved by the scenes of the orphanage.To see how these children had been mixed up in a war that led them to losing their parents had me in tears.Whilst not an entertaining film, I thought that it was well worth watching as it gave an insight(no matter how small)into what people had to go through.The acting was great and only enhanced what was a brilliant film..but one that left me shocked and upset.

While Ice Age does have adult themes running through it (and a few adult jokes), it doesn't have the broad appeal that you find with Shrek, Toy Story, or Monsters, Inc. But it is a good movie to sit down with the whole family to watch. There's little violence and no sexual content. The animation is a little cartoony--but the animators aren't shooting for realistic here, they are looking for more of a 'Shrek' type look. It has its charm. It does have a strong cast. I'd never have pictured Ray Romano as a mammoth, but his dead pan delivery does fit well with the personality of a gigantic mammoth. Dennis Leary plays the saber-tooth tiger, but holding Leary back to a PG rating takes away from his appeal. Still, he does a fairly good job with what he has, and the funniest moments in the movie come from his interaction with John Leguizamo, who is brilliant as the sloth. Cedric the Entertainer, Jack Black, and Gorin Visjnic (casting him as the leader of the tigers was a stroke of genius, I wish there had been more scenes featuring him) have small supporting roles. The dvd contains all kinds of extras, but it is the short animation 'Bunny' that really makes this dvd worth buying (and the cave painting scene in the movie). You can see the animators genius there. This isn't a dvd you want to rush out to buy, but one you might want to put on your list of dvds to get.

Ice age, Wonderfully witty in every way. The story is basically a mammoth, a saber toothed tiger, and a sloth try to save a human child by returning it to the childs "pack." a childrens comedy with outstanding graphics and remarkable acting. (DoDo scene is a MUST SEE!) Hilariously entertaining. I hope this review has influenced you to buy this DVD. It will truly be an outstanding display to add to any collection.

In the grand tradition of great prehistoric kids movies like "The Land Before Time" and "Dinosaur," "Ice Age" is yet another great comedy-adventure appropriate for the kids and the whole family.

THE STORY:

As the title implies, set in the Ice Age, Manfred the Woolly-Mammoth (voiced by "Everybody Loves" Ray Romano) Sid the Tree-Sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo) along with unlikely travel partner Diego the Saber-Toothed Tiger (voiced by Dennis Leary), find a lost human baby and endure the harsh weather conditions and assorted weird (and sometimes dangerous) creatures of the Paleolithic world as they attempt to reunite the baby with its human family (who maybe even more dangerous to them than their harsh environment).

THE COOL THINGS:

In all, if you're a fan of pre-history or the Discovery Channel you'll get to see tons of really cool prehistoric animals like mammoths, sloths, early Rhinos, sabretooths, dodos, other assorted cool animals as well early homo erectus man.

In addition to seeing the wonders of the early earth (including all the glaciers and volcanoes), the story itself is pretty touching as well as the cast of characters learn the value of family and friendship.

Like most kid's movies of late, slapstick as well as other forms of comedy abound in this movie as the unlikely and wacky cast of characters make their way around coming across tons of hilarious situations including a flock of weird do-dos and a down on his luck little critter.

WARNINGS:

Pre-historic earth, while wondrous, has its share of dangers. There are a few violent scenes (mild) that may be a little much for some of the younger kids including some vicious saber-tooths and (*GASP*) some equally violent human hunters.

THE VERDICT:

Overall though, you can't go wrong with this one. Much like others in this genre like Shrek, Monter's Inc, and the Land Before Time, the nice story combined with lovable characters and off-beat comedy is sure to be a winner with all viewers. Whether you're a family with young children, a couple out on a date of just friends catching a movie, this movie should please.

Highly Recommended

While Ice Age does have adult themes running through it (and a few adult jokes), it doesn't have the broad appeal that you find with Shrek, Toy Story, or Monsters, Inc. But it is a good movie to sit down with the whole family to watch. There's little violence and no sexual content. The animation is a little cartoony--but the animators aren't shooting for realistic here, they are looking for more of a 'Shrek' type look. It has its charm. It does have a strong cast. I'd never have pictured Ray Romano as a mammoth, but his dead pan delivery does fit well with the personality of a gigantic mammoth. Dennis Leary plays the saber-tooth tiger, but holding Leary back to a PG rating takes away from his appeal. Still, he does a fairly good job with what he has, and the funniest moments in the movie come from his interaction with John Leguizamo, who is brilliant as the sloth. Cedric the Entertainer, Jack Black, and Gorin Visjnic (casting him as the leader of the tigers was a stroke of genius, I wish there had been more scenes featuring him) have small supporting roles. The dvd contains all kinds of extras, but it is the short animation 'Bunny' that really makes this dvd worth buying (and the cave painting scene in the movie). You can see the animators genius there. This isn't a dvd you want to rush out to buy, but one you might want to put on your list of dvds to get.

Ice age, Wonderfully witty in every way. The story is basically a mammoth, a saber toothed tiger, and a sloth try to save a human child by returning it to the childs "pack." a childrens comedy with outstanding graphics and remarkable acting. (DoDo scene is a MUST SEE!) Hilariously entertaining. I hope this review has influenced you to buy this DVD. It will truly be an outstanding display to add to any collection.

In the grand tradition of great prehistoric kids movies like "The Land Before Time" and "Dinosaur," "Ice Age" is yet another great comedy-adventure appropriate for the kids and the whole family.

THE STORY:

As the title implies, set in the Ice Age, Manfred the Woolly-Mammoth (voiced by "Everybody Loves" Ray Romano) Sid the Tree-Sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo) along with unlikely travel partner Diego the Saber-Toothed Tiger (voiced by Dennis Leary), find a lost human baby and endure the harsh weather conditions and assorted weird (and sometimes dangerous) creatures of the Paleolithic world as they attempt to reunite the baby with its human family (who maybe even more dangerous to them than their harsh environment).

THE COOL THINGS:

In all, if you're a fan of pre-history or the Discovery Channel you'll get to see tons of really cool prehistoric animals like mammoths, sloths, early Rhinos, sabretooths, dodos, other assorted cool animals as well early homo erectus man.

In addition to seeing the wonders of the early earth (including all the glaciers and volcanoes), the story itself is pretty touching as well as the cast of characters learn the value of family and friendship.

Like most kid's movies of late, slapstick as well as other forms of comedy abound in this movie as the unlikely and wacky cast of characters make their way around coming across tons of hilarious situations including a flock of weird do-dos and a down on his luck little critter.

WARNINGS:

Pre-historic earth, while wondrous, has its share of dangers. There are a few violent scenes (mild) that may be a little much for some of the younger kids including some vicious saber-tooths and (*GASP*) some equally violent human hunters.

THE VERDICT:

Overall though, you can't go wrong with this one. Much like others in this genre like Shrek, Monter's Inc, and the Land Before Time, the nice story combined with lovable characters and off-beat comedy is sure to be a winner with all viewers. Whether you're a family with young children, a couple out on a date of just friends catching a movie, this movie should please.

Highly Recommended

While Ice Age does have adult themes running through it (and a few adult jokes), it doesn't have the broad appeal that you find with Shrek, Toy Story, or Monsters, Inc. But it is a good movie to sit down with the whole family to watch. There's little violence and no sexual content. The animation is a little cartoony--but the animators aren't shooting for realistic here, they are looking for more of a 'Shrek' type look. It has its charm. It does have a strong cast. I'd never have pictured Ray Romano as a mammoth, but his dead pan delivery does fit well with the personality of a gigantic mammoth. Dennis Leary plays the saber-tooth tiger, but holding Leary back to a PG rating takes away from his appeal. Still, he does a fairly good job with what he has, and the funniest moments in the movie come from his interaction with John Leguizamo, who is brilliant as the sloth. Cedric the Entertainer, Jack Black, and Gorin Visjnic (casting him as the leader of the tigers was a stroke of genius, I wish there had been more scenes featuring him) have small supporting roles. The dvd contains all kinds of extras, but it is the short animation 'Bunny' that really makes this dvd worth buying (and the cave painting scene in the movie). You can see the animators genius there. This isn't a dvd you want to rush out to buy, but one you might want to put on your list of dvds to get.

Ice age, Wonderfully witty in every way. The story is basically a mammoth, a saber toothed tiger, and a sloth try to save a human child by returning it to the childs "pack." a childrens comedy with outstanding graphics and remarkable acting. (DoDo scene is a MUST SEE!) Hilariously entertaining. I hope this review has influenced you to buy this DVD. It will truly be an outstanding display to add to any collection.

In the grand tradition of great prehistoric kids movies like "The Land Before Time" and "Dinosaur," "Ice Age" is yet another great comedy-adventure appropriate for the kids and the whole family.

THE STORY:

As the title implies, set in the Ice Age, Manfred the Woolly-Mammoth (voiced by "Everybody Loves" Ray Romano) Sid the Tree-Sloth (voiced by John Leguizamo) along with unlikely travel partner Diego the Saber-Toothed Tiger (voiced by Dennis Leary), find a lost human baby and endure the harsh weather conditions and assorted weird (and sometimes dangerous) creatures of the Paleolithic world as they attempt to reunite the baby with its human family (who maybe even more dangerous to them than their harsh environment).

THE COOL THINGS:

In all, if you're a fan of pre-history or the Discovery Channel you'll get to see tons of really cool prehistoric animals like mammoths, sloths, early Rhinos, sabretooths, dodos, other assorted cool animals as well early homo erectus man.

In addition to seeing the wonders of the early earth (including all the glaciers and volcanoes), the story itself is pretty touching as well as the cast of characters learn the value of family and friendship.

Like most kid's movies of late, slapstick as well as other forms of comedy abound in this movie as the unlikely and wacky cast of characters make their way around coming across tons of hilarious situations including a flock of weird do-dos and a down on his luck little critter.

WARNINGS:

Pre-historic earth, while wondrous, has its share of dangers. There are a few violent scenes (mild) that may be a little much for some of the younger kids including some vicious saber-tooths and (*GASP*) some equally violent human hunters.

THE VERDICT:

Overall though, you can't go wrong with this one. Much like others in this genre like Shrek, Monter's Inc, and the Land Before Time, the nice story combined with lovable characters and off-beat comedy is sure to be a winner with all viewers. Whether you're a family with young children, a couple out on a date of just friends catching a movie, this movie should please.

Highly Recommended

This is a very good movie. Sharp, original, and smart. Bullock and Kidman hit it out of the park here. Struggling to come to terms with who and what you are... With your lot in life. Being honest about who you are. That's what is at the heart of this film. And it works.

A truly magical ancestress, a witch in very deed, escapes the hangman's noose only to place a curse on herself and her female posterity. What ensues is an enchantingly wonderful, though sometimes dark, tale of two witch sisters who live to deal with the family curse.

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as the witch sisters who approach their upbringing in magic very differently. Bullock's character, the level headed and pragmatic Sally, wants nothing more than to find true love and live a normal life while her sister Gillian (Kidman) wants to live it up and change the men in her life like most people change their socks.

The two join magical forces when one of Gillian's assorted men emerges as a sinister character played by Goran Visnjic. Their adventures seem to have gone well until a lawman (Aidan Quinn) shows up with all too many questions and seems all too familiar to Sally.

Perhaps even more appealing than Kidman and Bullock from the standpoint of screen presence, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing star as a couple of enchanting -- almost Victorian -- aunts of our two heroines that are absolutely spellbinding and unforgettable.

Practical Magic, regardless of the theme, is not a Halloween flick like Hocus Pocus and should not be avoided by any who might think that it has seasonal appeal.

An enchantingly entertaining film!

Douglas McAllister

Pardon the pun. How else do you describe an incredible, fun, loving movie of two sisters who can't seem to help getting into trouble? Exactly. Enchanting.
The movie begins with two doting aunts telling their orphaned neices the story of their heritige. It was a curse that "any man who dared love an Ownes woman was doomed to die." And it happened.
The neices are Gillian and Sally Owens, two sisters who are, well, witches, like their aunts. Their aunts take them in, and give them choclate for breakfast, no brushing teeth or hair, and teach them magic.
Well, it's not long before Gillian runs away, and Sally gets married. Then, Sally's husband dies, leaving her with two little girls-Kylie and Antonia. And Gillian gets into trouble...big trouble with a boyfriend.
Suddenly, with a whirlwind of magic and mistakes, they have a ghost, a possession, two angry aunts, a cop, and, oh yeah, a Phone Tree day.
This movie is a wonderful blend of fantasy, magic, and love.
This contains many good quotes, such as:

Gillian: Have you ever spread your arms up and spun around really really fast? Well, that's what love is like.

Sally: Since when is being a slut a crime in this family?

Now, I'm going to go read the book and leave you with the words of Aunt Jet:
"There's a little witch in all of us."

This is a very good movie. Sharp, original, and smart. Bullock and Kidman hit it out of the park here. Struggling to come to terms with who and what you are... With your lot in life. Being honest about who you are. That's what is at the heart of this film. And it works.

A truly magical ancestress, a witch in very deed, escapes the hangman's noose only to place a curse on herself and her female posterity. What ensues is an enchantingly wonderful, though sometimes dark, tale of two witch sisters who live to deal with the family curse.

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as the witch sisters who approach their upbringing in magic very differently. Bullock's character, the level headed and pragmatic Sally, wants nothing more than to find true love and live a normal life while her sister Gillian (Kidman) wants to live it up and change the men in her life like most people change their socks.

The two join magical forces when one of Gillian's assorted men emerges as a sinister character played by Goran Visnjic. Their adventures seem to have gone well until a lawman (Aidan Quinn) shows up with all too many questions and seems all too familiar to Sally.

Perhaps even more appealing than Kidman and Bullock from the standpoint of screen presence, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing star as a couple of enchanting -- almost Victorian -- aunts of our two heroines that are absolutely spellbinding and unforgettable.

Practical Magic, regardless of the theme, is not a Halloween flick like Hocus Pocus and should not be avoided by any who might think that it has seasonal appeal.

An enchantingly entertaining film!

Douglas McAllister

Pardon the pun. How else do you describe an incredible, fun, loving movie of two sisters who can't seem to help getting into trouble? Exactly. Enchanting.
The movie begins with two doting aunts telling their orphaned neices the story of their heritige. It was a curse that "any man who dared love an Ownes woman was doomed to die." And it happened.
The neices are Gillian and Sally Owens, two sisters who are, well, witches, like their aunts. Their aunts take them in, and give them choclate for breakfast, no brushing teeth or hair, and teach them magic.
Well, it's not long before Gillian runs away, and Sally gets married. Then, Sally's husband dies, leaving her with two little girls-Kylie and Antonia. And Gillian gets into trouble...big trouble with a boyfriend.
Suddenly, with a whirlwind of magic and mistakes, they have a ghost, a possession, two angry aunts, a cop, and, oh yeah, a Phone Tree day.
This movie is a wonderful blend of fantasy, magic, and love.
This contains many good quotes, such as:

Gillian: Have you ever spread your arms up and spun around really really fast? Well, that's what love is like.

Sally: Since when is being a slut a crime in this family?

Now, I'm going to go read the book and leave you with the words of Aunt Jet:
"There's a little witch in all of us."

This is a very good movie. Sharp, original, and smart. Bullock and Kidman hit it out of the park here. Struggling to come to terms with who and what you are... With your lot in life. Being honest about who you are. That's what is at the heart of this film. And it works.

A truly magical ancestress, a witch in very deed, escapes the hangman's noose only to place a curse on herself and her female posterity. What ensues is an enchantingly wonderful, though sometimes dark, tale of two witch sisters who live to deal with the family curse.

Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as the witch sisters who approach their upbringing in magic very differently. Bullock's character, the level headed and pragmatic Sally, wants nothing more than to find true love and live a normal life while her sister Gillian (Kidman) wants to live it up and change the men in her life like most people change their socks.

The two join magical forces when one of Gillian's assorted men emerges as a sinister character played by Goran Visnjic. Their adventures seem to have gone well until a lawman (Aidan Quinn) shows up with all too many questions and seems all too familiar to Sally.

Perhaps even more appealing than Kidman and Bullock from the standpoint of screen presence, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing star as a couple of enchanting -- almost Victorian -- aunts of our two heroines that are absolutely spellbinding and unforgettable.

Practical Magic, regardless of the theme, is not a Halloween flick like Hocus Pocus and should not be avoided by any who might think that it has seasonal appeal.

An enchantingly entertaining film!

Douglas McAllister

Pardon the pun. How else do you describe an incredible, fun, loving movie of two sisters who can't seem to help getting into trouble? Exactly. Enchanting.
The movie begins with two doting aunts telling their orphaned neices the story of their heritige. It was a curse that "any man who dared love an Ownes woman was doomed to die." And it happened.
The neices are Gillian and Sally Owens, two sisters who are, well, witches, like their aunts. Their aunts take them in, and give them choclate for breakfast, no brushing teeth or hair, and teach them magic.
Well, it's not long before Gillian runs away, and Sally gets married. Then, Sally's husband dies, leaving her with two little girls-Kylie and Antonia. And Gillian gets into trouble...big trouble with a boyfriend.
Suddenly, with a whirlwind of magic and mistakes, they have a ghost, a possession, two angry aunts, a cop, and, oh yeah, a Phone Tree day.
This movie is a wonderful blend of fantasy, magic, and love.
This contains many good quotes, such as:

Gillian: Have you ever spread your arms up and spun around really really fast? Well, that's what love is like.

Sally: Since when is being a slut a crime in this family?

Now, I'm going to go read the book and leave you with the words of Aunt Jet:
"There's a little witch in all of us."

Fortunately I bough a used copy and the few dollars I spent won't haunt me as wasted. Note: I will never buy another movie advertised in the New Yorker again. Unfortunately I cannot take back the 2 hours it took to watch it hoping all along that it would get better by some magic. NO chance.
What a crashing bore! The plot is relentlessly unbelievable and the dialogue was apparently written by an escapee from a defunct writing school. When the characters speak to each other they stop before the end...not because there is tension in the plot but because they really have nothing to say!
Swinton's "mother" will take her place among cinematic pantheon of disturbed and disturbing mothers - Norman Bate's mother, Sigourney Weaver's Mother in Alien, et al.
And the son - the moron in the movie who is sublimely clueless about the goings on around him. Yup---Wellesley College is a better place than the Naval Academy. God forbid that the Naval Academy allows such mental castaways creatures as this the opportunity to destroy the nation from within.
Altogether a waste of time even with the soft porn scenes of 20 seconds or so.

the two stars that i give to this film go entirely to Tilda Swinton (in a 5 star performance), who is simply phenomenal as Margaret Hall, a woman whose desperate actions in the face of extreme circumstances help altogether redefine our notions of a mother's love for her child. Swinton deserves all the more praise for the fact that she could even pull such a believable and, ultimately, heartbreaking performance from what is essentially a b-movie script with uninspired direction and altogether unimpressive supporting performances.

first off, it was impossible for me to sympathize with the plight of Margaret's son, Beau, because of the fact that Jonathan Tucker provides such a sniveling, pathetic portrayal that i actually had a difficult time believing he was worth all of his mother's effort. all he does in the film is whine and mope and blush like a pre-raphaelite maiden and stupidly cast off his mother's attempts at establishing some sort of meaningful rapport with him (and she makes some honest, real, and sensitive attempts). it is only at the end, after Margaret has been through absolute hell for him and back, that it suddenly begins to dawn on his brilliant little mind that she had been on his side all along. sure, sure, blame it on pig-headed adolescent teen angst if you will; perhaps i could have done the same if it wasn't for the fact that Tucker gives such a one-dimensional performance that obnoxiously screams, "hey, look at me, the troubled and sensitive teen!" without providing any of the depth to allow the character to resonate with us. this kid should really take some acting tips from Nick Stahl, who adds layers and layers of complexity to the similar "sensitive young man" he plays in "In the Bedroom."

and then there is the stunningly ludicrous plot development of Goran Visnjic's character -- you know, the one who threatens to expose Margaret's secret if she doesn't cough up a huge wad of dough -- actually falling in love with Margaret and, even more ridiculous, her actually returning his affections. i mean, sure, i realize that walking into a movie, i'm going to need to suspend disbelief to some extent, but come on, this is WAY too much for the filmmakers to ask. for Margaret to fall in love with the man who represents the greatest threat to her family's stability, the very threat that allows her to pull together the strength needed to act in the remarkable, if disturbing, ways she does, is to completely undermine the integrity of that strength.

This film is a good example of justice being served. The baddies gets it by the end of the movie, and that's the main redeeming value. There are however, several flaws in the plot, including why the mother didn't just call the cops in the first place. We assume that it is because she wants to protect her son from murder charges, but with the broken railing and cause and time of death, the investigation should obviously yield the truth of what had happened. If she thought her son had actually murdered the victim, *why* didn't she even mention it to him?

Again, not a total waste of time, but not a real winner either.

Fortunately I bough a used copy and the few dollars I spent won't haunt me as wasted. Note: I will never buy another movie advertised in the New Yorker again. Unfortunately I cannot take back the 2 hours it took to watch it hoping all along that it would get better by some magic. NO chance.
What a crashing bore! The plot is relentlessly unbelievable and the dialogue was apparently written by an escapee from a defunct writing school. When the characters speak to each other they stop before the end...not because there is tension in the plot but because they really have nothing to say!
Swinton's "mother" will take her place among cinematic pantheon of disturbed and disturbing mothers - Norman Bate's mother, Sigourney Weaver's Mother in Alien, et al.
And the son - the moron in the movie who is sublimely clueless about the goings on around him. Yup---Wellesley College is a better place than the Naval Academy. God forbid that the Naval Academy allows such mental castaways creatures as this the opportunity to destroy the nation from within.
Altogether a waste of time even with the soft porn scenes of 20 seconds or so.

the two stars that i give to this film go entirely to Tilda Swinton (in a 5 star performance), who is simply phenomenal as Margaret Hall, a woman whose desperate actions in the face of extreme circumstances help altogether redefine our notions of a mother's love for her child. Swinton deserves all the more praise for the fact that she could even pull such a believable and, ultimately, heartbreaking performance from what is essentially a b-movie script with uninspired direction and altogether unimpressive supporting performances.

first off, it was impossible for me to sympathize with the plight of Margaret's son, Beau, because of the fact that Jonathan Tucker provides such a sniveling, pathetic portrayal that i actually had a difficult time believing he was worth all of his mother's effort. all he does in the film is whine and mope and blush like a pre-raphaelite maiden and stupidly cast off his mother's attempts at establishing some sort of meaningful rapport with him (and she makes some honest, real, and sensitive attempts). it is only at the end, after Margaret has been through absolute hell for him and back, that it suddenly begins to dawn on his brilliant little mind that she had been on his side all along. sure, sure, blame it on pig-headed adolescent teen angst if you will; perhaps i could have done the same if it wasn't for the fact that Tucker gives such a one-dimensional performance that obnoxiously screams, "hey, look at me, the troubled and sensitive teen!" without providing any of the depth to allow the character to resonate with us. this kid should really take some acting tips from Nick Stahl, who adds layers and layers of complexity to the similar "sensitive young man" he plays in "In the Bedroom."

and then there is the stunningly ludicrous plot development of Goran Visnjic's character -- you know, the one who threatens to expose Margaret's secret if she doesn't cough up a huge wad of dough -- actually falling in love with Margaret and, even more ridiculous, her actually returning his affections. i mean, sure, i realize that walking into a movie, i'm going to need to suspend disbelief to some extent, but come on, this is WAY too much for the filmmakers to ask. for Margaret to fall in love with the man who represents the greatest threat to her family's stability, the very threat that allows her to pull together the strength needed to act in the remarkable, if disturbing, ways she does, is to completely undermine the integrity of that strength.

This film is a good example of justice being served. The baddies gets it by the end of the movie, and that's the main redeeming value. There are however, several flaws in the plot, including why the mother didn't just call the cops in the first place. We assume that it is because she wants to protect her son from murder charges, but with the broken railing and cause and time of death, the investigation should obviously yield the truth of what had happened. If she thought her son had actually murdered the victim, *why* didn't she even mention it to him?

Again, not a total waste of time, but not a real winner either.