Superb in every respect,March 31, 2008
Casey Affleck
This film was a real treat, with at least three extra phases of complexity and mystery beyond where I expected to end.
More to the point, it held my 13-year-old's attention completely, to the point of pausing it when he wanted to go to the bathroom or get ice cream or whatever. [Note: lots of four letter words in the first half of the movie, this can freak out the super-strict, but if you believe in helping kids understand reality beyond their sterile little world in the suberbs, I personally believe this movie is outstanding on multiple levels and for multiple purposes.
Others have reviewed the details–for me, it's enough to justify the five star rating (beyond the obvious merit of the proven actors and actresses) by simply saying, any film that can hold my 55-year-old *very* demanding attention, and my 13-year-old's rapt attention (with discussion afterwards of ethical dilemmas, moral judgements, and when right is not right and wrong is not wrong, is simply a WOW.
