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Rating:  - Not the greatest movie
To be honest, this could have been a good movie but sadly wasn't. Very slow moving and not funny what so ever.... I also think the 9/11 tie in was to just draw a bigger audience...... Don't buy it. Rent if it is the last thing available (even after checking out the cartoon section at the video store).
Rating:  - Skip this one
The cover of the movie said "A brilliant comedy" and I didn't see any brilliance nor any comedy. Half way through I asked my wife if she knew what this movie was about; she didn't know either. It's the next day and I still don't know. As a very open minded person I usually really enjoy the odd movies. This one puzzlles me how it ever got off the ground. If you have a few hours to waste, watch it.
Rating:  - An examination of city in the grip of stress and fear
If you are looking fo a linear narrative, you'll be disappointed. But, if you want to see great acting, and a story (or stories depending on how you look at it) that is so much more than the sum of its/their parts. The entire premis of the film is laid out by Tony Shaloob (the psychiatrist) minutes into film and it manifests slowly on screen. The end of the film does not leave the individual storylines neatly wrapped up, because that would it be realistic, nor would it reflect the overall attempt of the film to represent "reality".
Rating:  - For the Right Viewer---Great, New, AND Wonderful
*****
This movie is not for everyone. It is being billed as an "intelligent comedy" and I would not call it that. It is more of an intelligent drama with dark comedic overtones. If you are looking for a ha-ha funny comedy, don't get this movie, as it is not light-hearted, either, as the name implies. However, for the right viewer, I would have to say that it really is a great movie, it is absolutely new, and I found it wonderful, too.
The movie is ostensibly about five New Yorkers and the details of their lives a year after 9/11. These characters were not involved in the 9/11 tragedy directly, but it shows how the stress of just living in the city where this tragedy happened has affected each of their lives and the conclusions about their lives they've arrived at by the end of the movie. The five stories interweave but can be watched separately in the special features section. I highly recommend watching them together, though, because there are parallel elements between the stories, even though at first they are not obvious. In general, I see this film as being about the stress of living our lives today, and the choices we make about our problems.
Now, here's why I think this movie is not getting rave reviews---when I watched it the first time I thought "This is just dumb"...in other words, I didn't get it at all---but since then, I've never had a movie haunt me so much. The more I think about it the more meaning I find in it. Have you ever watched a movie like that? I usually either love them or feel like I've wasted my time. So this movie is definitely different. It is subtle and profound, and has to "sink in". If you have someone to watch movies with who enjoys discussing them afterwards (and your friend is pretty intelligent and introspective), then the experience will be even better. I cannot stop thinking about it, which is a new experience for me.
The acting is fantastic, and includes a cast of respected actors (see the description of their past roles above).
I rented it first, and then bought it, which I would recommend. If you are the right viewer, watching this movie will be a new experience for you, one that will make you think about life in general, and one you will never forget. You'll want to watch all the special features, and the movie over and over again.
*****
Rating: - all over the place&just ok
saw this movie over the weekend and just didn't get where it was going. very Woody Allenesque influenced with the New York Multi takes on people's lives. but it felt very superfical and never got to the point it was trying to make or prove.the post 9-11-01 take again left a mix message and while this film had some interesting ideas, it just never got fully off the ground. a twisted "ordinary People" type of take if you will that just didn't go anywhere.
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