User Reviews

Not that great. Sure, only five other people have voted for it at the time of my writing. Maybe they were all in it. Anyway, it gets lost after a fairly strong first portion, then deteriorates, falling away from its main themes, and then goes nowhere for far too long. Mediocre. It starts out focusing on the patients themselves, then goes on to talking about what they are doing. Doesn't exactly give them all equal time, and doesn't tell us enough background. We have little idea of what plagued some of them, which would have enabled us to sympathize more with them. Uneven, even for a documentary. Only worth watching for extra credit in a psyche class.

6 out of 10.

This is the story of several people who have been homeless at some point in their lives, and also have a mental illness. The film crew had incredible access to Fountain House, which is a combination homeless shelter/mental health treatment facility in New York City. They had 350 hours of videotape, edited to 82 minutes. The camera does not flinch away from hard subjects as you watch people trying to build their lives or work at a job or just get along in the world as best they can.

I showed it to two groups already--some homeschooled teenagers for whom I am running a class called "Psychology in the Movies," and one section of college freshmen in an Intro to Psychology class. Both times, great discussion. This film, which is subtitled "Four People You Have Tried Not To Notice," really made these people seem real and important to my students. They unanimously said I should show it every semester.

You see some successes and some failures. You get an idea about why these odd people do these odd things--and how it makes sense, from that person's perspective, once you know his or her back story. I highly recommend it.

Remarkable film. Not at all about mental illness any more than "Rain Main" was "about" autism. I saw the film when it won the Atlanta Film Festival, and read the review that called this a "life changing" film, and it was. Without giving the ending away (sounds like another reviewer watched the first half) people cheered in the audience. Unusual for a documentary. Kudos to the filmmaker and the people in the film for opening up their lives. It certainly changed mine, and the way I think of homeless people. (Just for reference, here is the except from the review "Its craftsmanship, thoroughness, smart editing and sensitive but clear-eyed handling of its delicate subject matter make it a work of remarkable passion and uncommon decency. Most amazing of all, West 47th Street has the power to be a life-altering cinema experience. Watch it and you'll no longer be able to pass those troubled souls on the street without noticing, without caring, without understanding that attention must be paid." -- Dennis King, Tulsa World." And, I noticed, Newsweek called it "must see," and TV Guide made it a pick of the night. - Sandy Coppola.

One of the best documentaries I have ever seen. I laughed when Fitzroy was talking about working at the record company, and I cried when . . . I don't want to give it away.

Definitely changed the way I look at people on the streets. I can't imagine anyone not being moved by this film. I also appreciated the cinema verite aspects of the film and being able to see for myself what was happening rather than being told. I saw this on POV when it was first broadcast and would like to see it again. There are four characters although IMDb only listed three.

Bravo.