Reviews

Those who watch this film for a bit of "soft porn" miss the point. The nude scenes of lovemaking are amazingly well done, moving, and strikingly realistic. They capture the kind of "madly, badly" in love passion that those fortunate enough to have experience in life will appreciate. Likewise, anyone seeing this as a "Lesbian" film, also misses the point, though that is an important part of the story line--with Natalie Krill's character coming out and cautiously and painfully discovering her sexuality. But more than sex, or lesbianism, or any other social commentary this is a film about how two people can fall madly and suddenly in love for reasons the heart and body only know. I think this is one of the finest films covering these complex and difficult themes I have ever seen. The photography is stunning.

I can't believe all the people trashing this Pilot for the new series. We watched it last night and thought it was beyond excellent. The Acting was good, the filming and technique superb, and the quick back and forth dialogue and interplay with characters was first rate. I love the motif of the letter, playing itself out through the whole. Everyone of the characters so far introduced is begging to be unfolded, much less the story itself. If anyone is on the fence because of the reviews, please give it a chance. Quite a few of our friends, whose taste is superb, have loved it too. We are all different in our tastes but this one deserves a chance. I really hope it becomes a series.

I watched the whole series with great disappointment. The acting was bad, the script very amateur, the sound/noise very irritating, the cinematography horrible, the story weak and confusing, and the whole thing just a mess. I kept watching all eight episodes thinking that based on all the rave reviews surely there was something I was missing here. I think this might be among the worst TV series I have ever watched. I had heard the Duffer brothers interviewed on NPR's "All Things Considered" and I was drawn in thinking this was going to be great. I need to exorcise this somehow from my weekend. It was a waste of time and looking back painful to watch. I realize people have different tastes and clearly many people love this series but I honestly have to differ and can not recommend it at all, even on a very boring day with nothing else to do.

I would seldom give any film this high a rating. This is the best performance by a child actor I have ever seen. Even though the directors say that many of the lines were scripted at times it is clear that the characters just take off with improv that is so real and "of the moment" that it leaves one speechless at the ways in which scenes are carried, especially with "Maise" who steals the show throughout and touches the hearts of all, on camera and in the theater. All five of the main actors were superb, so very real and believable. What a deep insight into life, love, adult conflict, betrayal, Touching, moving, sad, joyous! Don't miss this one.

I was terribly disappointed in this film by a director, Joe Swanberg, whom I had come to admire and follow quite avidly. I did not so much object to the wavy camera technique, the flashbacks making the narrative sequence a challenge to follow, or even the muffled dialog and confusing lighting. The story itself was utterly and totally inane, stupid, ridiculous. It was not that it had a "surprise" ending but that the ending was utterly absurd. Truly a disappointment and all the more so coming from Swanberg, who has done such great work. How Amy Seimetz agreed to participate I have no idea...she is truly one of the great actresses of our time.

This amazingly intelligent and touching film, directed by Vera Farminga, her first, in which she also stars, was among the best I have seen this year. Farminga, known for Down to the Bone, Up in the Air, and a half dozen other fine films truly exhibits the range of her talents as an actress. The film portrays Christianity in particular, and religious faith in general at its best and its worst, depending on ones point of view. One thinks of the Tennyson quote: "there lives more faith in honest doubt than in half the creeds," I loved the scene of her outside the church building with the dogs, which took on an amazing symbolism in its context as she had just been warned by her Christian counselor that she would be cast out of heaven "to the dogs." The ending will surprise viewers. It is not predictable. The music is also powerful and authentic and carries the mood and spirit of the faith the film faithfully reflects.

I think some of the negative reviews come from Christians who are offended at how this film portrays faith but there is no doubt that the kind of faith the film reflects is very alive and well, even though Christianity has many expressions around the world. This kind of charismatic evangelical fundamentalism is quite common outside the mainstream churches.